


Thief Tales

by Exponaut



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2020-12-07 14:50:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20977694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exponaut/pseuds/Exponaut
Summary: A nameless group of thieves is based in one of many alleys in the vast downtown Exelton City. Every member has neither a penny to their name, nor a roof over their head. Living in constant stealth, they are all trying to make something from nothing.





	1. Upbringing - Lion I

"That's it. We're out of options. We can't pay this after the layoff, I guess we're headed for the homeless shelter." His mother said, his father scoffing and crossing his arms as his mother immediately replied. "Are you really going to be this stubborn? Even right now?" The couple paced all over the large home while Neill and his younger sister Edith sat on the floor in the living room. The two black-furred lions were simply waiting on a verdict, not really having any say in the matter and certainly not attempting to. "It's the simplest solution. Look, this place was cleaned out while we were on vacation, and the landlord's giving us three days after what happened last time." She said, and after a moment of silence Neill heard a sigh, recognizing that from numerous times before as his mother's. "Because of how stubborn you were and still are, apparently. I can't believe you right now."

A handful of minutes of arguing later, after having stumbled upon the situation an hour ago, it was settled that they'd spend a while in the shelter while formulating a new plan. It was a sufficient shelter, but nothing compared to the luxury he had all thirteen years of his life. Neill went from private school to public school, not minding the lack of personality filtering as he himself wasn't very studious. All of his niceties left the building and the lion spent many of his evenings after school bored and bitter, if not longing for a return to his old life. Already not liking school, his grades fell and he was eventually only running with the bare minimum to get through school. Stopping him from completely dying of boredom was the training his father was putting him through, learning the secret abilities passed down through generations. Neill's entire family was made up of purebred lions, and his father's mane had neon green highlights that glowed faintly occasionally. He hadn't known why at his fairly young age, but he knew whenever the room he was in got dark, they dimly lit up for around a minute at most.

Three years of trudging later, as his own mane was growing in, he'd learned the deepest secrets of the abilities, which he swore to never disclose, which is what also turned him away from substances. Unfortunately, while income had returned, the family wasn't making enough to support all the basics, and the climb out of poverty was painfully slow. He didn't know if his father was being stubborn again, or if they really weren't making that much, but he wanted to make a change. His evenings after training would be spent applying his abilities, while also helping his family return to their former selves. One of his major training accomplishments was learning his family's signature ability, Shadow Drift, which allowed him to disappear, moving without a trace. He was still plenty rough around the edges, however. The clothes on his back stayed visible sometimes, he had trouble taking an object he was holding with him and he could only hold Shadow Drift for about as long as he could hold his breath, not that they were at all related.

Over the next year the lion would go on to begin increasingly consistent petty theft, selling his wares at school with a mild markup. It eventually got to the point where his peers would commission something from him, and he would bring it in the following day. All but the few close to him knew they were stolen, and when Neill's parents queried his new source of income, he claimed to have been doing chores for those in the gated rich district of Exelton City, where he once lived himself. He bribed his sister with a cut to keep her from squealing, even though she didn't mind either way, as long as it was helping the family. His advancements in his training only got bigger and he was getting more and more proficient every session. On top of that, Neill spent his weekends almost entirely training as he only had to ask his father for an extra session, immensely improving upon his skills just in time for his neon green to finally show on the ends of his now obvious black mane. "Yours is coming in earlier than mine did, that's for sure, I'm jealous," His father said, almost gloating about his son to the point that the Neill could almost see it coming. Things didn't feel so bleak for him, and he was much more active in his time off, notwithstanding the laws he was breaking silently.

Upon turning 18, he didn't get any gifts like his previous recent birthdays, though he grew used to this. His father did announce a raise, but when Neill and Edith implored on getting out of the shelter anytime soon, the question was dodged well, but not well enough for the son and daughter to take it as much more than a no. In exchange, he made the bold decision to up the ante on his takes, now stealing from highrise apartments which were plenty popular for their convenience by slipping in through doorways that were left open. Despite his change in venue, he the amount he stole remained very minor. His income increased, but not enough to instill any new hope in getting in a home in the near future. Towards the middle of the year he became accustomed to being stealthy in houses, and thanks to not being perfect with Shadow Drift, improved upon his entry and exit strategies while behind a locked door. A few situations got unexpectedly hairy, and he learned he was rather good at improvising amongst particularly close calls. All of those moments, most importantly for him if he wasn't caught, included him not being seen, which would force him to be particularly wary of certain people or rooms, or worse, anyone he knew. Sometimes after school he'd stay during tutoring hours to sneak around fully exposed, practicing more tactical movement in the event that his abilities weren't available, an experience he was fortunate to not have gone through yet. He had no transportation to miss; He walked home as the shelter wasn’t the longest city walk for him to get through.

Growing more and more comfortable, Neill brainstormed the next level of his theft, over the course of a school week. On that Friday the lion decided that he would head out early tomorrow morning to venture into his former neighborhood, sure he could find a fair bit of cash around people with bigger pockets. Early that Saturday morning he made his way to breakfast as soon as it was open with silent haste. Normally the lion wasn’t a morning person but he had the energy with the plans he had made. One thing he had never forgotten, was his way back to the rich district and the front gate of the neighborhood he left. Neill didn’t recognize anyone he saw, though of the few people he knew well from years ago none of them fancied an early morning jog, which was all he could lay eyes on. He shook his head, focusing back on the task at hand rather than reminiscing or eyeing the exclusive populace. Around the neighborhood he walked, keeping an eye out for a home with as few people as he could gather.

After enough time passed so that the sun was clearly over the horizon rather than peering, he settled on a house that seemed to fit his needs. There was two door sports car and a motorcycle in the driveway, and Neill guessed no one else was working on a Saturday. He decided to make countless passes back and forth in front of the house from across the street every handful of minutes, or it was a handful of minutes as far as he could tell not having a watch. At around noon he noticed another car had pulled into the driveway since his last check. It was the same four door sedan his mother had before their incident only this one was black rather than white as he had seen before. Neill had decided to forgo meals to keep an eye on this new car. A few hours later, the sedan had left in between his checks. Nothing piqued his interest for the remainder of the day. He did stick around after dark, seeing no lights on the outside of the house from any angle, even when hopping up and down to peek over the privacy fence and check the back. The backyard had little decoration or even utility as far as he could see, even in Shadow Drift, which had the lion assuming there was little the owner spent doing in the back. Tired and hungry, Neill headed back to the shelter. The meal he had wasn't enough to satisfy him despite having not eaten in just over 12 hours and spent the entire day walking. He rested at his normal hour and woke up just in time for breakfast's end to give himself plenty of slumber; tomorrow was a big day, or rather, night for him.


	2. Upbringing - Lion II

Neill spent the entirety of Sunday trying to prepare himself, mentally and physically, for the night ahead of him. There was nothing special about getting out of the shelter late at night. Edith was the only sleeper light enough for him to worry about even waking up, and even then he knew she wouldn't be too bothered by her sibling getting up late at night. One thing he was looking forward to using was his Shadow Drift indefinitely under the moonlight, a mechanic of the ability his father told him about. He never knew what else he was going to learn about his abilities, or what new abilities he would be learning, nor did he understand why everything was trickled in. He didn't mind though, it made things more interesting to learn, and allowed him to absorb one thing before learning the next. A couple of weeks before he had learned of Light Snatch, which allowed him to take the light from a light source, the light he could withhold varying by his skill. His father curiously asked Neill if he thought he could Light Snatch the sun, and he shrugged, unsure if the newfound ability had such power. Rather than say yes or no, he only said, "It's right there, if you want to give it a shot." After over a minute of trying, however, Neill felt weak and could barely stand. He leaned on his father while heading back to the shelter, the elder lion speaking after a chuckle, "It's tradition to learn that the hard way." Beyond that moment, he only played with it by turning some lights off and back on, not sure when else it could come in handy.

Without much trouble, he left late that night, looking up at the half moon and recalling his training, but deciding to test that out when he didn't need all of his strength. After getting past the gate, Neill entered Shadow Drift, and rather than being on a time limit that's based on his skill, the night fueled him infinitely. He looked around, and time of day didn't affect how his vision looked while he was in Shadow Drift. Completely blacked out, tangible shapes in the world around him being outlined in white. He could see further despite the low light, and he used it to see in front of him for fun during foggy morning walks to school. The lion got all the way to his target home without seemingly any worry of being dropped back in reality.

Nothing had changed since yesterday, the same car and motorcycle in the driveway. Neill opened the gate to the fence along the side of the house, which didn’t squeak or scrape along the ground. He crept up the back porch, pausing in front of the door, exiting Shadow Drift to check the blinds at right next to the door; no light made itself visible, so he didn't worry about it and disappeared once again. His vision blurred for a moment as he went under the door, exhilarated by the fact that he just did such a thing, despite having done it before. Fortunately, he couldn't be heard under Shadow Drift, and he began to focus on what he was doing, looking around and taking in the interior of the home. It was spacious, an adjective inside a home he had forgotten existed while his whole family shared the same room in the shelter. Regardless, he took a moment to snoop around, not sighting any activity that could say anyone was awake. He was stuck for a moment after stopping in what seemed to be the living room, not sure what exactly to take. There was a game system plugged into a large television, but he didn't recognize the shape of the controllers which would have been prime targets, so he assumed no one in his school would have them. Most of the other items were either worthless without something else or huge, so he decided not to pay this part of the house any mind. He would've gone to the kitchen, but he didn't want to bother having to open anything or exit Shadow Drift to read labels. All the bedrooms seemed to be upstairs, so that's where he went.

When Neill first learned about Shadow Drift, he couldn't hear his father as he walked around him in circles, so he assumed his movement couldn't be heard, but he remained nimble and stealthy just in case. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he could go left or right, and decided to go right. RIGHT IS ALWAYS RIGHT, RIGHT? He told himself while heading down the hallway. His casual mood among his thieving was abruptly interrupted as he suddenly exited Shadow Drift, completely unwillingly. He stood in front of a doorway to a bathroom that had its light on, eyes wide with alert while he froze in confusion. He reached in and looked for a light switch, but by the time he turned off the bathroom light, he heard a male voice down the hall shout at him and the light for the hallway turned on, "The hell do you think your doing in my house?!" Neill looked down the hallway and a groggy, yet rapidly awakening red fox was in his sleepwear, bolting back into his bedroom and turning the light on. The lion didn't want to know what he was getting, charging down the stairs as soon as he saw the owner move. "I'm gonna make sure you can't move in a minute!" The fox threatened. Neill decided to go out through the back as he came in, hoping to lose him in the connected backyards and privacy fences.

As his heart raced he entirely forgot about slipping under the door as he practically shouldered it, not realizing that he had to pull on it and that it was locked. After finally opening the door after what felt like way too long, he heard a plenty audible shotgun cock from up the stairs followed by rapid footsteps that made their way down. Neill slammed the door shut behind him and took the stairs, not willing to test his dexterity in the critical situation by jumping off the deck. On his way to the fence at the far end of the backyard he used Shadow Drift once again, relieved that it still actually worked. It immediately failed him again when light from inside the house spilled the backyard as the door he just used swung open. "Don't think I can't chase!" The owner bellowed. Neill looked back for a split second to see a silhouette of fox hopping the railing, shotgun still in hand. He planted a foot on a picnic table and vaulted the fence, stunned by what he had just gotten himself into.

The first thing he saw was a huge pool, bordering the fence directly and gravity had locked him in for the ride. Neill fell in with a splash, a deafening sound by thief's standards. He landed in the deep end, easily underwater with a room to spare before reaching the floor. He wasn't the best swimmer, but he could get himself to the top of the water. He returned to open air with a gasp, his first sight being a house's numerous back windows lighting up. Before he could make even a reflexive move, a flashlight pointed down at him and with his luck he assumed it was a police helicopter. It was actually the fox again, shotgun pointed down at him from over the fence. "Freeze, motherfucker, hands!" The canine demanded, backing the light in Neill's face with sound.After how muffled the command was, he was sure there was a good bit of water in his ears, but he understood it well enough. He wasn't about to bet his life on Shadow Drift evading bullets after its poor performance tonight, so he just raised hands, struggling to stay above the water without his arms. Within an hour, Neill was in the backseat of a cop car, wet, handcuffed, confused as to why his ability had failed him, and mentally exhausted. He had failed, but on top of that, his parents would find out about his source of income, and, being of age, he was actually going to jail.

Neill would spend the next few weeks in jail, his father getting him out at the end of it all. Walking out of the station, he was immediately guided into an alley and once out of sight, his father disappeared next to him, and he used Shadow Drift with a frown. The black and outlines were there like normal, but his father was in full color and seen as if nothing had changed. They headed back out to the sidewalk, and the first moments were silent, particularly tense and awkward for him. Eventually his father speaks, the younger lion not wanting to make a bad first move. The elder lion's tone was gentle disappointment in its purest form. "I don't know what you're going to do from here on out, but I don't have much to help you with, nor am I going to try. To begin with, you have a criminal record now, so you're not allowed in the shelter anymore. Tell me, honestly now, how long have you been doing this?" Neill met his father's eyes with guilt. "A little more than a year." His father continued after a silent nod and they both looked forward. "So there's not much sympathy I should have for you. We learned of your arrest after you were processed in, so it's not entirely news anymore. I think the biggest impact for you in the long term is how I'm not going to extend my reach so far as to train you anymore." Neill's eyes widened, but he kept quiet, understanding why. The elder lion continued after a pause, as if he were giving Neill a chance to react, "You've used your powers for wrong, and didn't even wait until..." He trailed off, and with a pair of faint whooshes, his father became a blur as he dashed to Neill’s other side, then several feet out in front of him like he only took two steps. With another whoosh Neill watched him ascend several feet up a building, cling to a flat portion of it for longer than gravity should've allowed even if he properly latched onto something. The display continued as he fell back-first to the ground, only to fall through a spot in the sidewalk and reappear next to him. It was a lot to take in, and he didn't understand any of it. "...I could teach you the rest. That's only a portion of what remains for you to learn, but now you can only figure it out by finding it within yourself. Maybe whenever we get a new house, and you find a way to identify that house, you can rejoin us, but as long as we're in that shelter, you're on your own." When they reached the shelter finally, his father slung an arm over his shoulder and held him close for a moment. "Good luck, Neill, I hope to see you again someday, in a cleaner form." They both fell through the ground, and after he shrieked for a moment, they were suddenly in another alley. His father's figure turned into black and outlined white, and Neill exited the ability as well. His father walked forward, and a black space opened up on the ground next to a dumpster, which closed as his father entered. After walking back to the sidewalk, well down the street, he saw his father again, entering the shelter.

In an attempt to fight rising feelings of longing and regret, he turned away from the shelter and walked around, half looking for somewhere to stay, half contemplating his next move. He didn't find much to be of use, and he also realized all of his money was still in the shelter, so he was truly starting from zero. As night fell and he found nothing, he decided to just take refuge in one of the many alleyways Exelton City had to offer. It was at this moment, he came across an alley with coverless beds laid out along the sides, leaving an aisle down the middle. Black tarp was covering the top of the alleyway, sturdily but shoddily held up by something he couldn't see from ground level. At the end of the alley it split in two directions, and there was a barrel with a flame in it, a stag sitting on stacked plastic crates next to it. There was also some light chatter and it sounded like it was coming from the far end, around the corner, but he wasn't sure after a day of constantly hearing city ambience. He stopped in front of it and looked down the alley curiously. A black panther and a rabbit were playing chess next to a bed, and they looked up at him, not saying anything. This led to Neill standing there awkwardly as well as nervously and looking back. A sliver furred wolf walked around the corner at the far end, his fur reflecting faint light as he seemingly exited a conversation. After they looked at each other for a moment, the wolf's British accent was first to be heard, a wary, yet harmless tone in his voice. "Can I help you?" The wolf asked, looking at Neill who was confused, and a bit nervous, deciding to be as blunt about his approach as possible. "I uh...I don't have anywhere to call home, and I'm completely broke. Are any of these beds open?" The lion asked, unsure of what the response would be. As if he said exactly what the wolf wanted, the canine grinned and gestured for him to approach.

As he got closer, his eyes grew plenty curious, trying to make sense of the situation. Suddenly, the wolf spoke as the lion looked down at equally bare mattresses simply on the ground, lined alongside where beds would have gone. "Stop." The wolf said lightly. The feline froze in place and looked back at the wolf, worried he'd done something wrong, even though the word couldn't have been said in a less commanding tone. The wolf pointed to the mattresses that were on the ground while speaking, "You're gonna be sleeping on these mattresses for a while. Don't go anywhere, don't do anything. Just chill and exist. Don't worry, we've got food lined up for you. I heard your stomach rumble. Just don't try to pull anything fast. We've got eyes on this place every minute of the year. Oh, and quick tip, if you want to wake up with everyone else, change your sleep schedule." He explained. Neill absorbed the ground rules and sat down on a mattress, happy to have any place to rest. From his new viewing angle he saw a more lively back alley section, resembling a really weak party. The wolf turned and headed towards them while pointing back at Neill. "Oi, someone get him a nibble," The canine gently ordered. "On it," Neill heard a feminine voice outside of his view reply, then saw a weasel move across the extension of the alleyway that he could see. He wanted to peek around the other corner that seemed to be silent, but didn't dare step out of line. The lion could escape, seemingly; The alley was lit, but only fairly dimly aside from the barrel. Problem with doing so was, where would he go otherwise? He considered to himself. For now, his routine was sitting here until something changed. He had no other obligations, after all.


	3. Upbringing - White Tiger I

Four months after Neill's upbringing, Leah was enjoying a night out in one of Exelton's larger clubs, raving away in a crowd on the dance floor. Lights were flashing like they couldn't do anything else, leaving the room dark otherwise aside from a stage that made everything clear except for the DJ's silhouette. A drop was steadily thumping away, bass flooding everyone's ears, and the DJ let a new beat creep in, gradually letting it take over. Once the new song was loud and clear, he made an announcement, his voice through the microphone as loud as the music, "Hey y'all get ready for this old school hardstyle king, if you don't recognize him ask the person next to you, this one's a classic!" With that, the music continued, and Leah's barely visible lizard friend, Stacy, stopped dancing, slowly weaving through the crowd.

"I'm gonna take a break, get a drink." Leah tailed her friend after she was notified of the exit, "Lemme join, I'm not big on hardstyle anyways." The lizard and the white tiger leaned on the counter, the bartender, a fennec who out-dressed everyone inside by a factor of five with his tuxedo, turned to take their orders with a rag in hand, "What can I get you two?" "Irish coffee on the rocks." "Just something cheap in a bottle." Leah took a weak slap to the shoulder after her order. "Leah, you're the most basic drinker I can think of." Stacy said after a laugh. "Can't blame me, I'm saving a buck." The white tiger replied. "Tch, whatever..." The lizard said while shaking her head. He turned around with a simple bottle, sliding it gently to the feline. Before he would start on her friend's drink, she stopped him, "Could I pay for this real quick? I'm gonna get some fresh air." The hyena nodded and spoke, "Sure." After a moment of fumbling, she realized she had no cash on hand, "I guess I'm paying through the card." After handing over her card and waiting, he tossed it back on the counter after a few failed swipes, "Nothing's on that sweetie." The bartender sneered. Leah was shocked at the denied payment. "What?!" She exclaimed. Stacy turned and tried to calm her down, "Sure it's not the wrong card?" She said with a reassuring tone. Leah took the card back, shoved it in her pocket bitterly and said, "I'm not you, that's the only card I pay with. Fuck..." The lizard pulled out her own wallet and made another attempt to calm down her feline friend, "It's fine, I'll pay for it." Stacy replied. Leah stopped her and backed away from the counter, "I'd like a functioning bank account rather than a free drink. I'm stepping out, I need to look into this."

After heading out she sat on the curb with her phone to assess the damage, glad she still had service knowing she couldn't buy a drink. 80 cents was all she had, and after further investigation, Exelton City University, the college she was in her second year attending and the biggest of the eight in town, made some changes that weren't very loudly announced. Even with the second job she picked up recently that was soon taking almost all of her remaining free time, it wasn't enough to cover the new, increased cost. Glass blowing was her dream, and now it was gridlocked. She put her head in her arms and occasionally grumbled to herself, not caring about the time. Her friend burst through the door eventually. "You alright over there? It's been like twenty minutes." Stacy joined her on the curb, and arm over her shoulders. Leah picked her head up, revealing her scowl, "One thing's for sure, I'm not gonna be in college anymore, if in anything really. I need a new life plan." The lizard gasped as if she made a breakthrough, "I wouldn’t mind letting you stay at my...oh, right. Non-students can't hang around for too long." She said, her tone losing its energy after the realization. "Thanks for trying to help anyways, but I'll probably think of something. Whatever it may be."

She went home to drop out later that night, and, per ECU policy, she had to be gone the next day. In exchange, there was no fee for dropping out once you started paying and she had already paid what was around the corner, so it was as simple as eating a small breakfast in her room and leaving. She wanted to take stuff with her, but didn't want to deal with losing anything along the way, and didn't have much beyond school supplies as the room already had plenty of amenities anyways. The only uncommon thing the white tiger decided to take with her was her bow and quiver of arrows. If anything went wrong, she'd have something to defend herself with. It wasn't the most inconspicuous form of protection, but it wasn't her intent anyways. On top of that, her compound bow was her only real prized possession.

Leah went down to the parking garage, getting in her navy blue sedan and taking a long look at the interior before turning the car on. After very slowly driving to the top, Leah parked it just outside the entrance and put her quiver on her hip after getting it out of the back seat. After getting her bow as well, she closed the car's door and left it at the curb, making it easy to take when she couldn't pay it down the road. Fortunately for her, driving wasn't the hardest thing to let go of, not minding the extra walk if time were on her side. It was the middle of the morning when she tried to search for somewhere to reside for the moment. The fact that she wasn't one to really pay attention to the needy meant she didn't know the shelter existed at all, let alone knowing where to find it. Her jobs weren't much of a thought, as neither helped her before her crash. If she was going to work again, she wasn't going to feel so bound to rules, not that being a full time student helped in that regard.

She stumbled upon an alley with beds, covered by tarp. Folks were sleeping in it, all that she could see were turned away from the alley's opening, to avoid the sunlight, by her guess. Leah stared at the alley for a good few minutes, trying to make sense of it, aside from the fact that the were either homeless or being taken care of by some organization. One clearly recently awakened bear turned into view from around a corner, meeting her curious gaze and pausing for a moment before rubbing his eyes and swearing just loud enough for the white tigress to hear. He turned and spoke to someone out of sight for a moment before walking towards her. The approach snapped her out of her observation, and along with the motion of a passing bus, she took off running.

Just before turning a corner on the between-rush-hour morning sidewalks she looked back to see the bear knew exactly which way she went and was walking quickly compared to her sprint. She turned and found another alley which led straight to a dead end. A place to hole up was good enough for her to move to the far end and nock an arrow, not planning to shoot immediately, but ready if they had something to pull. She nocked an arrow and took aim at the other end of the alley. After a few moments the bear almost passed by her before looking, stopping, and turning into the alley. "White doesn't blend we- WHOA!" The bear said, his tone starting off snarky until he realized the situation he was now in. He put his hands up and stood still before shifting his footing. "Don't. Move." She demanded. "Fine." He said before his eyes flicked up. Leah didn't dare lose her advantage over a ruse, so she kept her focus on him. One still and silent minute later, her ear twitched as she heard a creak just above her. Time slowed as her aim and focus shifted up to an otter that was in midair, shooting her patient arrow which went wide. The otter landed on their target, sandwiching Leah with the ground and making her grunt on impact.

He had her pinned, unable to retaliate, let alone fire another arrow as the bear walked up to her, hands in his pockets while speaking. "Well, aren't you a curious cat? Why the interest, and the response? Particularly the response. I had no plan on making chase, just asking. Why?" She looked up at the bear, spited by the takedown. “Why YOUR response, if anything?” Leah asked, barely able to speak in her current position. "I could tell you, and more, but you'd either have to peacefully follow me, or, not so good things, depending on your decision." The bear said, idly waiting for an answer It wasn't a contest, if it would get the literal weight off of her and she could learn how an alley looked so...established. "Alright, just get him off of me!" The white tiger groaned from under the otter. He got off, and the white tigress slowly rose to her feet before brushing herself off, now sore from the otter's hefty presence. "Well, onward then." The feline said impatiently.


	4. Upbringing - White Tiger II

Leah let out a sigh as they left the alley, almost holding her breath the whole time from staying silent as the bear appeared, to barely being able to breathe with the otter on top of her. They crossed the empty morning street and arrived, the feline now getting a closer look at it all, not learning much aside from seeing faces of those she once saw only resting, which they still were. "So, gonna say-" Leah said, immediately getting shushed by the bear. "They're sleeping...wait," He said while whispering, grinning from amusement outside of her view due to being the one in front. Just before turning a corner, the otter covered her eyes, and she made a blind, failed attempt to stomp on his foot after stopping. "What now?" She growled. "Top secret, Miss. I'll guide you, don't worry." The Otter said while keeping his hands over her eyes. She begrudgingly put some trust in him and turned as directed, her eyes uncovered to the sight of a stirring silver furred wolf in a bed next to a table with some old brick phones disassembled on it. They seemed to be in a dead end that was very separate without looking around. "What now , M...Miller?" The wolf hesitated on the name, and the bear gestured to the white tiger. "Oh? Cooperating now, are we?" His British accent gained a cheeky tone for a moment as he sat up. "What is this? All of it." She asked, hoping to finally get her question answered. The wolf didn’t give her what she wanted, but certainly did reply, "Well now, that's a fancy looking bow you have there. Aside from that, one question. Where do you live? Not exactly an address, but, where in town? I hope you aren't just visiting." Leah crossed her arms, unhappy to have her question answered with another question. "I don't live anywhere now. I was going to college, but because bullshit, that's no longer the case, neither is any other part of my life." She replied.

"Then do I have an offer for you!" The wolf quietly exclaimed, fully getting out of bed, stepping around the corner and pointing to some nearby mattresses that were simply slapped on the ground, "You, can reside here and squat for the time being, just don't go anywhere. We have food, don't worry about that. Also, er, if you wanna meet more faces, look around afterward dark, we're all tired." The canine said, giving her the same rundown he had given numerous times at this point. She wasn't sure what to make of it just yet, but she started for the mattresses, which were occupied by no one at the moment. The wolf however, tugged at her bow and she stopped as he spoke, "One more thing. Gonna need to take that from you. That's a hell of a stealth mission." She turned around and he let go of it. "My bow and arrows? You can have my damn clothes before you can have that." The white tiger revolted, plenty against handing over such a possession. "Tell you what, go pick a mattress, and I'll be right back." He directed. She went and took a seat on a mattress, hearing a heavy door open and close around the corner after the canine disappeared. They were a huge comfort downgrade compared to her bed, and nobody had any bedding, but she was hoping she'd either get used to it or be tired enough to not care. After the heavy door opened and closed again, he returned with a long box under his arm. She looked at it with unhappy confusion, "The hell is that gonna do? Gimme something to sit in?" Leah spat. He put the box down next to her before explaining, "Put your stuff in here. As long as you don't open the box, no problems. Alright?" The silver wolf compromised. Somewhat hesitantly she put her quiver and bow in the box, which the wolf taped up after pulling an attached roll of packing tape off the back of his shirt.

"There. Now we'll know if it was opened, and it can stay there." He negotiated. Leah looked at him while sitting back against the wall. "I still don't know what all of this is." She said, swerving the topic back to her interests. "I will tell you later, but for now, sit tight. Also because I'm tired. It's almost bloody noon." He yawned and turned around, flopping on his bed out of sight. She stood up next to her mattress every now and then, but didn't move much, only trying to stay up to learn of this supposed night time activity, and not get tackled or something similar to what happened earlier.

After a long, boring day, the first, a deep purple cat, woke from his bed just after sunset with a stretch, walking past her like he was going to work. "You look tired. New recruit?" He said, strolling around the corner with a chuckle. After hearing, seeing and doing essentially nothing all day, her energy was rather low, so she didn’t even attempt to reply. As it got later, Leah witnessed the alley go from dead to as lively as a small business. Not only was everyone who previously slept up and moving, everyone seemed to have something to do, and those who didn't gave an ambience of chatter from around the corner. After a seemingly relaxed early night, small groups of two to five filtered out into the street around what was around midnight as she saw the moon through a gap in tarp directly above. Two individuals did step out separately. She couldn't overhear where they were going, but they didn't return until a few hours later, a portion of them holding random, small items of varying value.

As she watched a pair, one of them being the cat she saw earlier, return from a trip, the wolf crept up behind her and spoke without giving her warning, "Plenty curious now, huh?" She was surprised by his presence, but too tired to make it seem like so. After slowly turning around she replied, though drowsily, "That stuff they're carrying in, it's all stolen isn't?" He laughed, replying with no shame, even high-fiving one of them as they passed, "Well, given our empty wallets we can't just head to the market can we?" The white tiger only nodded, not exactly hissing at the idea of stealing for a living. It didn't seem effective, but she also didn't know how long they'd been doing this, or how much they'd made. After those who'd returned settled in, they stuffed them their items in their mattresses, writing on a small piece of paper and putting it in their as well. She decided to ask down the road, but after some more chatter in the alley, everyone eventually turned in, dawn making itself known as the sky became a deep blue that gradually brightened. Finally, she could rest with everyone, falling asleep almost instantly.


	5. Upbringing - Wolf I

"Morcuuuus! Morcus Nathan Fenning!" His mother bellowed from inside. "Ooh, middle name." His Labrador Retriever friend sniggered. "Your middle name is Nathan?" His crow friend Micah asked with stupefied curiosity. Morcus sighed and got up from the dirt along the side of the house, ignoring the comments and heading inside. He stepped inside, not caring that disinterest shined off his expression. "Yes, m-?" She was too furious to wait for his arriving statement, "Ah called your name four times, you should show some more respect, or at least learn to heed when yer name is called! Anyway, you haven't done a single chore all day, and I told you to have them done an hour ago! You're sittin' in the yard like a leaf in a pile hangin' with your friends..." Every time his mother chewed him out, rather than listen, he would wonder how his voice was such a stark contrast to hers. While her voice swam in southern like the rest of the locals, his was entirely British like his father's without the slightest apparent deviation. He had her brown eyes, but little else, with his father’s gleaming, naturally groomed silver fur as opposed to a rugged brown, and his height too, being slightly taller than his mother at 17. No matter how many days he spent outside, one shower would always make him look he had a fresh wax, or more akin to his mother describing his father, "A two hour spit shine."

After his regular pondering he heard the magic words, then paid some degree of attention. "...Do you understand, young man?" He nodded and replied promptly, "Yes ma'am." He turned around to head back outside, but was halted before even partially opening the door, his mother barking at him preemptively, "Where are you going? I told you to stay in your room until dinner!" He grumbled and went up the creaky stairs to his room, which was the only thing at the top. Closing his door, nigh slamming it, not bothering because the doors were loud no matter what he did. He knelt down next to his window, his two friends at ground level looking up at him as if it were protocol. "Don't bother mate, go home!" Dylan waved up at him while replying, "See you 'round, Morcus," The crow waved as well and they parted ways for the day.

The wolf flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, contemplating his situation, of which he like almost none of. The Fenning residence was old, wooden, and accompanied by a barn and lots of open land, like literally every other in town. That swerved his thoughts into his location. He lived in the small town of Caris, where the next tallest thing after the frequently one story buildings was the crops that surrounded every property most of the year. A very bland hour and a half drive from here was Exelton City, skyscrapers shining bright every night in the distance. Worst of all, he was homeschooled. He didn't want to go to school, but he lamented the fact that he would be spending his life running the house via a farmer's lifestyle. His mother didn't want to move to Exelton and his father was more than fine with a commute to work while they, or at his rate, she, upheld the tasks around the house. Everyone always got up bright and early, or rather, at the crack of dawn because the flat-for-leagues landscape showcased the slightest rays of sun.

His father arrived minutes before Morcus was called down for dinner. He was always well dressed, or rather, he was compared to Morcus being used to seeing a splash of dirt or dust on everything that visited. He hated it, his mother called it "Caris Charm". After dinner he didn't shower and headed straight to bed like previous times he was locked down early. His father intercepted him before he could fully undress and cancel the talk with an excuse. They sat on the edge of his bed, like many times before, and his father began, "Morcus, you know why you're learning the farm, right?" Morcus looked up at him and spoke, "To take care of this place when you two are gone?" His father shook his head and replied, "No, this land is quite profitable. You don't need to do anything." The younger wolf’s eyes narrowed, "Then why are you working in the city?" Morcus queried. "I had this job before I met her, and needed it to impress your grandfather on your mum’s side, now it's more of a backup plan," His father answered swiftly. Morcus hesitated to speak his mind, more tactful towards his father than his mother. "Can I work in the city like you?" His father shrugged and replied, "Mmm...that would be up to your mum." Morcus scowled immediately. "She's going to say no!" He spat. "I can do little about that. I'm not even home most of the day." His father said, trying to explain things to his son. The younger wolf took a deep breath, calming himself down. "I understand. Just try to find a bright side to it all." His father patted him on the back a couple of times before standing up, "Now you should get to showering. I won't hold you up anymore." He got up and closed the door behind him. Morcus threw himself back on his bed and groaned, trying to find a way, any way, out of living on a farm for the rest of his life.

The next morning he complied well with the first-thing-in-the-morning instruction to water the crops. The land they owned was enough for it to be a task, but not enough for his mother to budge on machining it out. She rewarded his effort and compliance with breakfast being ready almost as soon as he was done. He was free for the rest of the day, as she said she would handle the other big task. That went as planned, and he took the rest of his Saturday to strategize, gathering his two other friends to walk and talk around town. By the back end of the afternoon they were sitting atop an old man's roof and gazing at Exelton City in the distance, which, despite not glowing because of the time of day, continued to make itself visible. "You wanna go there?" Micah pointed out at the towers in the distance. The wolf nodded while replying to the crow, admiring it morethan the other two, "Yep." Dylan squinted a little, not noticing the crow was pointing, "That set of big ol' buildings we're looking at?" The silvery canine nodded again, "Precisely." Morcus replied to the lab. "You gonna train by walkin' fields all day? 'Cuz that's a helluva walk." Dylan inquired. "That's part of the situation, transportation, because that looks like an entire day's walk." Morcus said. "Why don't you just fly 'em over there, Micah?" The bird scoffed at the idea, "Dylan, if I'm weaker than you, and you can't consistently beat Morcus in a tussle, how am I gonna carry him all the way to them city lights?" The crow asked and turned his head, eager for the Lab’s response. "You're just flappin', right? Ah'll give ya a head start." Dylan mocked before grabbing his feathered friend by back of his shirt and toying with him, nudging him to the edge of the roof. Morcus brainstormed amongst Micah's futile protests.

Dylan stopped jerking his friend about to ask about the bright yellow car some kids weretormenting as someone got out of the back, "What's that?" The crow brushed himself off then shrugged, "No idea." He said. "I've seen it before. My dad came home from work in one once. I don't know what they're called, though." Morcus recalled while jogging his memory to find a name for it, failing after a moment of pondering. It went from cruising to speeding away as one of them pitched a baseball at the sign on top, knocking it off. The scene cleared after the man who got out scolded them all, andthey got off the roof through the tree next to the home, moving in to analyze. The trio hunched over in a huddle for their answer, or at least, a hint. “TAXI” it read in black letters, barely legible due to the cracks in the yellow plastic from the impact. "Hmm. I'll try to ask what that is, and particularly how I could get a ride in one." The wolf said, observing the sign further before stepping back and looking at the city once again. "I think I'll head home and try to get some info. See you two tomorrow, maybe even later tonight depending on how this goes." Morcus said. “See ya then, Morcus.” Micah said as the wolf departed.

Morcus lightly jogged back home, hoping to get information on this as soon as possible. His father was just getting back from work, and he caught him before he could even get in the house. "Oi! Dad! Before you go inside, I wanna ask you something." Morcus beckoned. His father stopped and turned to his son, smiling at his curious presence and replying, "What is it, Morcus?" The younger wolf came to a stop next to him, out of breath from the jog. "Er...what's a taxi?" He asked. "Well, a taxi is kind of like when I give you a ride somewhere, except you call someone to do it, and they pick you up. Once you get in you tell them where you want to go, they take you there, you pay them and get out." Morcus replayed the explanation in his head for a moment before asking another question, "Is it...expensive?" The conversation was interrupted by his mother craning her head through the front window and shouting at them both, "Glad you two showed up, dinner's ready!" There was little chatter throughout the meal, except towards the end, when she implored on the conversation outside the house. Even though it wasn't the best outcome for Morcus, his father explained anyway. "He wanted to know what taxis were." Her ears perked and she froze, and the youngest at the table filled with dread. "You want a ride to the city, don’tcha?" His mother interrogated. Without hesitation, he hissed back. "Anything to get out of being here all my life!" She escalated her tone with her response, raising the bar further than he did for emphasis, "You can't even get one, where are you gettin' the money?! You can't even afford to use one of them pay phones!" His eyes narrowed like he had an answer, but his determination picked up from the question she dropped on his head. He stood up and stormed up to his room. "Don't even think of coming out! Ian, don't let yer car keys out of yer sight." She ordered, her spouse only sighing and nodding, now being in some way involved in the evolving household war.


	6. Upbringing - Wolf II

Morcus went upstairs more to think in peace rather than out of anger, not that his mother being over his plan failed to annoy him. He wouldn't have any trouble getting out of the house without using the plain old stairs. Despite being on the second floor, he met a friend a few years prior that kept his promise of "teachin' him to hop them mile high fences," So getting back in from outside was a breeze, particularly with the tool shed lining up with his window. Upon gathering his thoughts, he opened the window and hopped out, rounding up his two friends again who happened to still be hanging out, only now it was dusk as they sat in a field. "So it takes ya anywhere...but it costs money?" The Retriever asked with a tilted head. "Yes. The final issue, is getting the money to pay for it." The other canine replied. "Y'know how much ya need?" The crow requested, not even sure how much it would cost himself. "I could probably find out in the heart of town, people actually go there rather than the rest of town where us bloody dirt farmers actually reside." Morcus said, that remark striking the Lab’s nerve. "Hey, my family grows some damn good corn!" Dylan snapped back. "Sorry, Dylan, sorry. I was thinking though, if I can't get a job because the witch will find out, and everyone does their own chores so that's out of the question, I'm considering stealing it." Things were silent after Morcus spoke until Micah replied. "Ya...sure about that? I mean, I guess it's kinda easier because security is real manual 'round here. Well, that's only reassuring. Hope you can get free of here, since you don't like it so much." The crow consoled. "Good luck to ya. Stick to the fields maybe? Tall crops make for great cover." Dylan suggested. "Now where you sneakin' off to in the middle of the night, Dylan?" Micah asked nosily. "I'm payin' ol' Julieann a visit, hush about details." The dog countered. "Well, I'm gonna take a look around, see how many tall fields can hide my approach." Morcus said while getting up, the other two following suit. The wolf gave them both a hug which was returned immediately, seeing how that was the most affectionate thing Morcus did in a long time, not knowing how this would end for him, either being in the city or getting locked up.

On the way home, he caught eye of more tall fields than he cared to notice before. It gave him hope, and to keep from having any third party interference, he kept his nose clean during the day. Morcus didn't do much preparing, entering his first field the night after deciding to make that his form of income. Settling on a small house with only a front porch light on, he checked the road, then disappeared in the crops. There wasn’t as much surrounding this house as there was on other properties. After poking his head through the far end of the field, he shuffled around the edge of his cover, scanning the sides of the home for anyone patrolling as well as any entrance that wasn’t the front door. Fortunately, the field wrapped around the home aside from a small path to the front, so he could take a look at all sides. He searched counterclockwise, unlucky until finding an open window into a room on the last side of the house. The canine swore under his breath, wishing he decided to go the other way round to begin with. After a final check on his surroundings, he approached swiftly and silently, slowing down as he got close. Finally he stepped in through the open window.

Morcus felt weird setting foot in someone else's home without their consent or even knowledge, but he got over it knowing it could get him out of Caris. Morcus knew what he was looking for; Every farmer held some degree of savings under their bed. This was the wrong room however, as this was only what he could guess was the daughter of the house, taking in the ambience of a room decorated rather femininely. He ignored the apparent styling and crept out into the living room. There was no creaking in the floor for him to worry about, this house had the updated flooring compared to his own. Micah's house had this flooring, and he could never hear a single creak. No lights were on, but he could still notice from the moonlight shining through the windows that in general this house was quite similar to his. Furnishings were different of course, but the house itself didn't feel like a new house. At the very least, the place didn't have a second floor like his. After shaking his head for a moment in disappointment he focused himself again, wandering into the kitchen and a half bathroom before finding the master bedroom.

The door was already mostly open, enough for Morcus to enter without adjusting his stance. Something he hadn't thought about until now came up, which was what else might be under the bed. Sheets were tucked in neatly, so he got down on his stomach on the floor, keeping his tail down while looking at what was near the edge. It was jam packed in organized chaos, enough to possibly support the bed without any legs. He took his time shifting to adjust his view, remaining as silent as possible and looking for something small, that wasn't meant to hold much more than necessary. Nothing was found, so he carefully stood up and repeated the process on the far side of the bed closer to the window, getting down at the foot of the bed to prevent casting a shadow on the owners. This side was much less intimidating than the first, and he gently pulled out a shoebox. It took its own effort to quell all of his excitement when he found money inside. Even then, he was careful to pick the bills out and not rustle any coins. He decided not to clean them out to cover his tracks as well as not take any coins for the sake of noise, only taking a few bills off the top before putting it back. He got nine of what seemed like many, putting them in his pocket and crawling backwards before getting up again. The wolf exited through the same window, keeping his pace slow and quiet until he reached the field, where he headed home calmly, sighing when far away from the house. He was surprised it all went so according to plan, and in his favor, but he kept his guard up, not thinking about the next house, but expecting the worst from it. He got in his room without a hitch or either of his parents being any the wiser. Morcus turned on his light and pulled out the money he stole, counting thirty-six dollars. He had no idea how much he needed, but it felt like a good start. He put it under his mattress and went to bed. The canine's road to what he hoped would be Exelton City had finally begun.

The following morning his shifted sleep schedule hit him like a brick. He was slow to wake up when his mother beckoned his name, to the point that she burst in shouting at him to get up. Beyond getting out of bed, the work ethic woke him up, but he spent the day yawning. By the time he really ran out of energy, though, he was with his friends. Describing the night prior was enough to keep him from passing out on the grass. Micah stared with amazement as Morcus answered his torrent of questions. The Golden Retriever on the other hand, was more subtly impressed with a nigh permanent smirk on his face. "Ya actually did it, that's where Ah get blown away. Did some work before going home to help ya out, asked how much a taxi to the lights would be." Until the fellow canine gave him the magic number, he was the only thing Morcus would focus on. "How much is it?" The wolf asked eagerly. "Two hundred and thirty-seven bucks. Hope you can bare farming dirt a lil longer, with thirty-seven you're only uhhh..." The crow was fairly quick to answer for someone doing math in their head while the dog struggled. "A little over ten percent done. No thanks to the king of falling asleep in math class." Micah sniggered. "Hey, can't help that they start it right after lunch." Dylan defended. Morcus grinned, witnessing the other canine's drowsiness during the few times he could stay for a meal. "I appreciate the numbers, you two. It'll certainly be a while, but as long as I'm not burned there's progress to be made." Morcus replied.

The wolf's next three nights things were relatively similar. Leaving a window open was a common practice during the warm summer nights, so he had an easy time getting inside. His difficulty reflected his takes however. He only picked up another thirty dollars. Each evening before he hit another house, he would update his friends on the situation. He made the decision to take a break every fourth night, working hard that day to make an excuse to turn in early.

He was getting back on the routine after another as he reached the halfway point two weeks later. He decided to trek into a massive cornfield this time around. Even using the path that led right to the front, it was a walk, so moving through the cornfield would be a challenge in itself. After a few minutes he hadn't much of a bearing on his progress, trying to simply keep the direction he had when he started without leaving an obvious trace for the sake of time which was on his side now more than ever. Eventually, he made it through the field, which had a low fence on the side closer to the house. Upon peeking at the house. he saw a figure on the porch in a chair, holding a two-handed gun. Morcus immediately stepped back, heading back into the field to find another exit while staying well away from the edge to avoid being spotted. He couldn't tell whether or not they were asleep, but it was a risk he wasn't taking.

The moon above him shifted in the starry night sky as he searched for an exit along the side. The path narrowed considerably, but while he wasn't claustrophobic, he was concerned about keeping a path back. The stretch of narrow path was longer than expected, but just as he saw the other side, the wolf's foot hit something, and he heard a click. His fur stood on end as time slowed down. There was a rustle in the crop to his right and he shifted his stance to ready himself. He went blind immediately and doubled over into the crop. When he cried out loud enough to feel it in his throat, he couldn't hear it. He was deaf as well, only able to hear a piercing ring in his ears. His vision became usable, but poor as he lay still and disoriented in the cornfield, quickly getting up and continuing along the path. Once it opened back up, he stopped and looked around, not seeing any police lights shining off the house he was using as a reference. The only second floor window he saw wasn't lit up either, but he started off, trying to get out and away from the house rather than towards it. His pace was a constant jog as he tried to move before the owners found him. He heard of flashbangs from someone in the city, and they matched the description perfectly aside from seeing it which he wasn't going to try and do at this moment. By the time Morcus got out of the field, his hearing had mostly returned. At the same time, however, he looked back and did see police lights, running home without looking back. All was quiet as he rushed back into his room, the only thing he heard when he got into bed being the faint ring in his ears. _What is a farmer doing with blasted flashbangs?_ He wondered, frustrated by the sudden failure.


	7. Upbringing - Wolf III

His morning went by as usual, almost forgetting about the breakfast his mother made after the morning rounds in his haste to tell Dylan and Micah about his loud and bright encounter. "So that's what Ah heard last night," Micah said. Morcus' ears perked as he turned to the crow. "You heard it from that far away?" The wolf asked, "Was a pretty quiet night to me, Wasn't asleep yet though." Micah responded. "Well...I wasn’t interrogated today so the hag must not have known. Regardless, I'll have to keep an eye on where I'm stepping, knowing that is somehow a possibility now. It's not like I'm in a hurry anyways." Morcus said, Dylan giving his the fellow canine a pat on the back. Morcus gently shrugged him off, "Don't worry about me, mate. There's no way every farmer has a flashbang trap in their field." The wolf left for another home just after sundown, and found himself in another cornfield. It was much smaller than the one from last night, so he knew it wasn't the exact same place. This time he kept tabs on both his direction and the ground he was stepping on. Fortunately, there were no traps this time, but even though he got in and out with a forty-one dollars, he remained wary as long as he was doing this. Throughout the week he came across a few more traps to his surprise, not learning the effects of any along the way.

After another week, he had the money he needed, laying out in a field with his two friends, chatting and staring up at the clouds which variably gave way to patches of blue, taking every moment in like they would be his last. "Ya did it...without a hitch aside from getting your eyes and ears blown out." Micah congratulated, "Yeah...they're fine now. I hope." Morcus said, running a hand over his ears. The dog turned his head to Morcus before speaking, "Think you'll ever come back over here to visit? I know I ain't leavin' here in this lifetime. Don't wanna at least." The wolf shrugged and replied, "If I can, Dylan. If I can." The crow rolled and hugged the wolf’s flank. Morcus looked down at Micah, hesitating for a few moments to see if he would let go quickly. Even after waiting, the affection continued. "Er, Micah, you know this looks kind of...?" Dylan had taken a picture with his phone, catching the moment well out of context. "Looks kinda what?" The crow said, snapping out of his hug mode and looking up at Morcus. Dylan showed the crow with a massive grin on his face. Micah immediately shoved off and sat up, flustered from how it could be perceived. "Hey, you go ‘n delete that!" Dylan only looked at it further himself with a grin "It's the perfect memory to look back on-" Micah cut him off, "With me looking like Ah'm...cuddlin' him?! I just wanted to hug 'im because Ah wouldn't ever see 'im again!” The dog quickly responded, "Ya sure it wasn't 'cuz you had another reason?" The Labrador Retriever laughed while Morcus intervened, the crow silent and embarassed, despite not having any feelings towards the silvery canine. "Oi, I'm not in this. It takes two to tango." Morcus corrected.

Morcus got up a few moments later, and so did Micah, shaking off his embarrassment. "Well, I need a bag. General store, you two?" The wolf asked. "Yeah. On me, actually." The Lab replied. "No need, Dylan." Morcus denied, "Yeah, because it's on me instead." Micah insisted. "Seriously, neither of you need to do that." He said, further resisting. "Because we'll both split it!" Dylan and Micah urged together. The wolf sighed with a smile and gave up, allowing their generosity to join his departure. Before heading to the store, Morcus used the payphone they also paid for to call a taxi, which fit his schedule and wouldn't be arriving at his place for another two hours. "Just so you two know, I'll duck and hide as soon as I get home until the taxi arrives, and I can only hope the witch isn't around to see it." Morcus clarified. He got a bag of peanuts that they all shared on the walk back to his place, keeping the white, unmarked plastic bag as he waved goodbye to them at his front steps and went inside, the pair waving back. He realized how odd his grand split seemed out of context, glad neither of his parents were on the front porch to easily question the act. The promised two hours passed and the sky slid into twilight. Morcus was on alert at his window, grabbing the bag he filled with his money and rushing downstairs as soon as his ride arrived. His mother was in the kitchen, his father's muzzle buried in a newspaper. She was unaware of the taxi outside, but still wound up from the lack of context. He didn’t stop moving as he turned his head and made eye contact with his mother at the sink. Morcus opened the door and bolted through the door. "Hey, what're ya doin' with-" Her question was answered as she saw the flash of yellow and nailed the closing door with a wet plate that shattered against it. "IAN!" She shouted. The silver furred husband was shaken out of his reading by the racket, almost falling out of his chair. “Bugger me...” He said under his breath before continuing at a more audible tone. "What?! What's going on?!" He asked, hoping for clarification. "HE'S GETTIN' AWAY!" She roared. "Getting away...?" He requested with a far quieter tone, his expression going from shocked to quizzical as the lack of context continued. "HE'S TAKIN' A DAMN TAXI!" She clarified. He slapped down his newspaper as he got the memo and hurried out of his seat to the door, but the taxi was already rolling out when he came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs outside. He headed back inside, looking around for his keys while she dried her hands off. "Too late?" She inquired. "Yes, but we can follow it. I just need to find my keys-" He replied, getting slightly cut off. "Hurry up then!" She demanded.

Meanwhile, Morcus was mostly calmed down from the short adrenaline rush, relieved that the car wasn't stopped by his parents. "So, ever been to the city?" The driver asked, shocking him with the fact that he had no drawl in his voice. "Only a few times. Usually I'm just stuck in Caris, watching grass grow." He admitted. "Guess every visit's a change of pace for you, huh?" The driver implored. "You could say that.” Morcus responded, avoiding the context of the ride. They were soon on the highway, and Morcus couldn't believe that he was finally on the way to Exelton City. He stared out at a sunset greeting him out the window down the seemingly endless plain on the side of the highway. A police car, which he had only seen twice at all, was parked on a dirt road facing the taxi as he passed. He made note of it now that it was fresh in his mind. Back at home, the couple rushed outside to get in the car, only now finding the keys and getting on the move. While moving to the highway at a slightly less legal pace, the male asked himself aloud while she kept her eyes out for a taxi. "Where could he go? He needs a destination, and I've only taken him to...the mall!"

"You must have pretty big business going to city hall." Morcus shook his head even though the driver wasn't looking back. "I've just...wanted to see it. Why not start from the heart?" Morcus lied, actually trying to throw his parents for a loop if they didn’t catch him along the highway. The driver shrugged, "Not much to see during a normal workday. You won't be seeing Mayor Nold unless something big's happening or there's an election, but he just got in." The driver explained. "Still has tourists strolling by, right?" Morcus said, trying to add some reason to his choice. "I guess you're not wrong there." The driver conceded. The parents had reached the highway, gradually weaving through traffic, hoping to make up ground while it was simple. Ian’s car was sporty, and the silver wolf had no argument to stepping on it when they hit the highway. They spotted the cop up ahead, and slowed down along the far side of a trailer. It was no use, however, and soon sirens were in the mirror. They pulled over, the precious seconds dragging on as the officer got out of his car and strolled to the window. Ian already had the window down to save time. “You know ‘bout the pace you were goin’ past me?” The stallion in uniform said, putting a hand on the roof above the window. "I was going a bit fast, I apologize, but-" The wife interrupted him from the passenger seat, leaning over the center console to enter view. "Have you seen a taxi go by?" She asked quickly. "Ah seen ‘bout a dozen on my shift. Why?" The cop replied. "Our son took one to runaway from our home in Caris and he's headed fer the city." She explained. "Ma'am, tha’s an expensive taxi. You have your wallets and such on you both?" The officer queried. "He was carryin' this bag on the way out, it must've been fulla money!" She clarified further. "Well, Ah wish you two luck on findin' yer son. Ah'll put in a report on 'em but Ah still have to hand out this here ticket. You two were blazin'; Heard it before Ah even saw it. Sit tight and Ah'll come back in a sec to ask for a description of 'em, okay?" The wolf nodded and the horse walked back to his cruiser and the couple pulled their fur in agony. They lost several minutes already and weren't even finished.

"Alright, drive a lot slower now, will ya?" He nodded again to the officer and shoved his ticket in the cup holder once everything was resolved, wanting to absolutely floor it, but instead driving off casually after letting a police car of a seemingly higher caliber pass. "He's halfway to the bloody moon now!" Ian groaned while putting the window up. "Let's..let's jus’ keep goin', we might find ‘im on the sidewalk somewhere." His spouse reassured as they continued down the road at a much more pedestrian pace. Morcus arrived well after sundown, looking at every passing city light with complete awe, "I've never seen this place at night up close before..." The wolf said, adoring his surroundings. "Oh you're smack in the middle of it. You gonna be able to cross the street?" The driver laughed as a light went green and he turned the corner. City hall was a few stoplights away, which the wolf had also taken in, seeing how traffic in Caris was run on stop signs and trust. They finally reached city hall and pulled over. Morcus handed him the bag, an orange striped arm taking it from him. After rushing inside, Morcus hadn’t a chance to even see what species the driver was when he first got in, not bothering to look until now. "If this is really the fare you're gonna have to give me time to count this." The wolf shrugged. "Fine by me."

As Morcus waited, the couple finally reached the city. The number of taxis on the street went up dramatically, so they decided to wait by the mall and hope a silver wolf walked by. They let out a distressed sigh however when they learned they couldn't wait at the front and the multi story underground parking garage was closed for the night, cars only exiting occasionally. "Ugh...what do we do now?" He asked, putting his chin on the steering wheel at a red light. "Find a hotel 'n wait overnight to hope for some news on Morcus?" Ian turned and looked at his wife with a bit of shock. "That's awful surprising coming from you, Grace..." She sighed after his comment. "Hush, please, Ah'm worked up enough about all this. Just find us a place." She complained. "Right, right. I need to get my bearings first, I've never worked nights before so I don't recognize much." Ian said, starting to look around. Morcus wasn't sure how long he waited, but he didn't care now that he was here. Only line of sight separated him from freedom if he was spotted. "Alright, you're free to go! Enjoy the city!" The tiger said, looking back and giving him a quick salute. "Oh I will!" The wolf said, delighted. Morcus got out of the taxi and looked around as it drove off, _I should get away from city hall, now that I’m here..._ The wolf was drowning in the full ambience of urban night, particularly enjoying the fact that he could look up at an angle and not see a trace of sky. The manmade ground was wet, as if it had recently rained, but it hadn't rained over Caris in a week, leaving him slightly confused until he realized the two locations were far enough apart to have their own weather. He took a deep breath and decided to focus.

He had no idea what his father's headlights looked like in use, so he decided not to even bother treading so carefully. He tried to blend in plain sight, with there still being a fair amount of foot traffic for nighttime. _Somewhere to stay, inconspicuously. Actually, doing everything that way now..._ He was grateful for every moment of the hour he spent searching about that his parents, or unbeknownst to him, police didn't find him. At the end of his extended aimless wandering, he decided to make his own home that fit in with the surroundings, able to think more about details with the now decreased sidewalk population. Morcus halted at a pair of alleys that for once wasn't sandwiched between two businesses people were going in and out of. One was completely empty, the other had a yellow, spotted jaguar and a deep gray hyena roughly dressed and sitting idly on plastic crates, leaning against the wall. A couple of mattresses in that were in good condition for having been sitting in an alley for who knows how long sat on the ground slightly further away from the street, but still in view. A couple of extra crates were scattered about near the duo on the ground, so he set them up on the far side of them both and sat down, keeping them in between him and the street. The hard, inconsistent plastic crate was not comfortable at all compared to the car seat he was recently in. "You blokes call this home?" Morcus asked. The jaguar didn't respond, but the hyena right next to him did, giving him a puzzled look. "You...what?" The hyena asked. He forgot to realize his accent wouldn't fit in so easily now that he was no longer around people who also had an obvious accent of their own. "Nevermind, this a sort of home for you?" The wolf repeated. "What kind of question is that? I'm three steps away from the street!" The hyena responded gruffly The jaguar finally said something. "Hey, ease up on him, will you?” The hyena grumbled and crossed his arms as the jaguar continued. “The answer is...odd. We don't have a home so to speak, so we frequently end our days here. No one bothers a homeless person, aside from the people who come and pick up trash every some days, but even they pay us no mind." The feline explained with a much calmer tone. The wolf thought for a moment. "You know what the buildings next to us are?" He asked. "Both just warehouses. Seem to be just storage because I've never seen a truck stop here for anything, let alone taking something out." The jaguar answered. Morcus scanned the two buildings while the jaguar spoke further. "I'll be back in a second." The wolf said while standing up. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was a second that never fuckin' ended." The hyena growled as Morcus walked off.

Morcus took a look at what was connecting to where they sat. To his left was little space before a metal door at a dead end. To the right, after a short distance down the back alley was another section to the left that led to a different street. At the far wall of the back alley and to the right was another alley, which he learned was the empty one neighboring where he just was. He concluded his research by heading back to the pair to sit down once again. "Find the pot of gold?" The hyena asked with a sour tone. "Yes, it's massive." Morcus said, reflecting the sarcasm before dropping it and asking. "Why are you so grumpy?" The hyena sat up and looked up at Morcus with a scowl, "Why do you care? Why are you even here?" He angrily deflected. "I ran away from my old life, got here just after sundown today, actually. Can you answer my question now?" The hyena crossed his arms and slumped back on the wall. "Hmph. I lost my job and got all my stuff repossessed." He answered. The feline returned an answer as well, despite not even being asked to. "And I bet all my money away. Shameful, but it is what it is to me; The past." Morcus put together all his info, almost falling asleep against the wall brainstorming. "I have an idea, for all three of us." He said after seemingly forever. The jaguar leaned forward, looking around the hyena with interest. "We make this place a bit more comfortable for ourselves, and live off each other's...efforts." Morcus suggested. The hyena immediately replied. "Make it more comfortable? You must have money to spare, and what 'efforts'?" Morcus shook his head. "I spent it all on the taxi ride here. As for money, I had exact change, and kinda stole to get what I needed for the ride." The wolf noted that neither of them sprinted out of the alley and tried to get law enforcement. "It's clear you two aren't opposed to stealing." The wolf added. They both confirmed his guess silently with nods. "Then it's settled? We can also take in anyone else who doesn't have a home, and they can join in on it all. Our camouflage can be the fact that we're just broke people." The hyena finally obtained a respectful tone, to Morcus' surprise. "That's...kinda clever actually. I'm in." The jaguar raised a finger. "As am I." He said, joining in on the idea. "One more thing. Names? I'm Morcus." He clarified. The jaguar identified himself first, extending his arm for a handshake which the wolf took without hesitation. "The name's Harry." The hyena shook his hand next. "I'm Brian." He said, Morcus still slightly surprised to get any ground with the hyena. "Glad we've introduced ourselves. Say, you know what that metal door is back there?" Morcus asked, gesturing towards the back of the alley. "No idea, I just know those mattresses are ours." Harry replied. The silver furred wolf stood up and pressed the subject further, "Wanna go see?"


	8. A Sturdy Beginning

The trio stood in front of the door, and Morcus stepped forward, putting his hand on it and giving it a powerful yank. It opened with a clunk, and no alarm went off. Two things had gone in his favor already. "Alright!" The wolf exclaimed with an excited whisper, as they agreed to remain quiet as this was possibly their first mission. Harry and Brian silently celebrated as the door opened up to light. The leading canine stepped in and took a look around. It was well lit and spacious inside, shelves lined the walls that were completely taken up by boxes. There were no windows he could spot aside from the skylight in the middle of the ceiling. Morcus finally looked back and waved them in. "We should close this door, the light's pretty unnatural." Morcus noted. They followed him in, Harry closing the door behind them gently. "What could be in these boxes...?" Brian asked. "Only one way to find out." Harry replied. The hyena and jaguar huddled around the wolf as he clawed tape apart and rummaged through one of several boxes sitting in front of the shelves, finding many screws and bolts. An inside flap had a piece of paper taped to it that read "BED FRAMES, SCREWS ETC". "No way, I reckon one of these other boxes has the parts! We could get your mattresses off the ground with these." Morcus commented quietly. Brian added to Morcus' comment, matching the whisper. "There's also a furniture place down the road that has surplus. I see people tossing stuff onto trucks all the time and running off without a care. That's where we got those two mattresses from." Harry explained, clawing open another box while whispering further. "We could get you a mattress too, and we'll all be- some parts are in this box and two more!" Morcus went over and confirmed before going back to the other box. "Wanna try and assemble one? There's a lot of thumbscrews in here." Morcus queried. Harry replied to the wolf with halted glee. "No manuals though, we'll be here all night." Morcus opened up another box while replying, "Whose schedule are we waking up to?" The jaguar shrugged. "Good point, let's give it a shot." He said. 

They found the parts they were looking for and very slowly dissected what seemed like was the parts for a single bed frame. They didn't stop for any breaks, and after seeing the moon in the skylight, were finally finished with one bed frame. "We did it, and I'm bloody tired..." Brian looked over at the former farmer. "Used to live on an early schedule? We tend to stay up a bit late and are only now kinda feeling it." Morcus nodded sleepily. "I sure did, but I want to keep going. No stopping until we crank out three. Sleep through the day for all I care." The wolf said. The three of them slaved through the night, hoping it would go faster by the second or third one, but details blurred out of their minds from sleepiness. Finally they completed the other two as the sky became a gradually brightening dark blue. Morcus laid on the bare frames to test them for weight. "I could fall asleep on these right now..." The canine said wearily. The other two stood up as he got off the last one, tiredly smiling proud at their effort. "We're finished, regardless. Let's take these outside, test them, and get you a mattress regardless, then we can crash." Brian said, giving them a rough itinerary until they go to sleep.

Harry held open the door while Morcus and Brian moved the frames out to the door. They put the two mattresses they had on the frames and they fit perfectly. "Let's not touch those. They're friggin' sleeping spells right now." Harry joked after a yawn. "C'mon, we'll take you to the place." "You sure they're open right now? You can barely tell the sun's coming up right now." "It's fine. The door to the free stuff is always open, there's another code locked door that actually leads inside." They guided Morcus to the back of the store through a wide alley, which had a banner over open double doors that read "FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, GET IT OUT OF HERE FOR FREE”. "Unbelievable.," Morcus said as they entered while gently shaking his head. It was a moderately sized room, and there wasn't much left. In fact, Morcus had no choice in which mattress he would take. They took the only mattress and hauled it back to the alley through the quiet morning streets. It had no trouble fitting the bed frame as well, and they all finally went to bed just before dawn broke. Morcus practically couldn't feel himself hit the bed before he went to sleep and was surprisingly unaffected by the sun as he slept through the whole day, waking up just as the sun was setting. He was happy to learn neither of them snored. 

Harry woke up a handful of minutes after Morcus, and Brian awakened almost right after, both of them stretching after getting out of bed. After a silent minute, Morcus drowsily asked them both, “What do you two do for the basics?” The jaguar looked over and replied while rubbing his eyes. “Normally we pluck change off the ground and hit up a value menu somewhere. That’s obviously a very slow way of making money.” Harry said dryly. “Indeed. We need to er, get some business going. But where would that be?” Morcus pondered. “Technically, anywhere you want, just need the balls and the skills for it.” The hyena said with a grin. “He’s not wrong. Everyone and everything is a target, as dumb as it would be head straight for the nearest bank.” Harry added. “What about a small store? Doesn’t even have to sell anything worthwhile.” The canine queried. “You could try your luck, but cameras are in even the most basic ones, and it’s rare for one to be closed as far as I’ve seen, even late at night.” The feline replied without hesitation. Morcus grumbled as he tried to find something they could score on. “Bollocks...stealth sucks in the city.” The wolf said, defeated and unable to come up with an idea. The trio pooled their brain power while sitting on their beds, all trying to find a way to make some money. “We could dumpster dive.” Harry suggested. “The hell is that?” Morcus asked immediately. “You go picking through the dumpster for something of remote value.” Harry replied promptly. “Urgh, let’s find a cleaner route, please.” Morcus denied. It was all idling and the occasional turned down idea until midnight when Brian made a breakthrough. “Cars.” The other two looked at the hyena with complete confusion. “I hope you’re not suggesting we steal a car because I have no bloody clue where we would sell it.” Morcus said. “No, steal FROM cars. Find something with an open window, take whatever looks interesting inside.” Brian clarified. “Particularly money, right?” The wolf said with a glare. “Right,” The hyena replied. “Where do we find cars at, though?” Harry asked. “You of all people should know, Harry. You used to live there.” Brian snapped back. “Oh! The apartments! Low end cars line the streets down there, and since it’s summer, someone’s bound to have their window open for when it gets hot tomorrow.” Harry said, catching on to the idea. “Let’s go then; We’ve got nothing better to do,” Morcus directed.

The three of them headed out to stroll the sidewalks alongside completely dead roads, only trucks that were hauling passing through. Even those were a rare sight and could be heard well before they appeared. On the way there, Morcus got to know his impoverished companions with low voices. “So, you two got there before I did, and clearly had set up shop to some degree, how long were you together? Er...not...” Morcus trailed off as the jaguar that led the way smirked out of view. “Yeah, I get what you meant. I got there first...to the alley, that is. I wanted somewhere quiet by myself, and no one was in there, unlike the others I had come across. I was doing exactly as I said we did earlier, picking up change, but on my own. I was there for about three weeks or so, barely getting by. Then Brian showed up and damn near tried to put a hole in the wall and I had to partially calm him down.” Brian interrupted Harry’s explanation. “I almost broke your fucking snout.” The hyena commented. “Yeah, yeah. Brian came up with the mattress thing, though, I had no idea that store existed. Then again when I moved to this city I had no need for a bed. Beyond that, you got here like two weeks after Brian did, and boom, here we are.” The jaguar finished, without further interruption. Morcus listened with interest, but didn’t bother commenting.

Eventually, they reached the aforementioned apartments, and there were plenty of cars parallel parked along the sidewalk to look into. “Alright, keep it to a whisper, and initials only, never know what could happen even this late at night. Trust me, I would know. We’ll check three at a time, and stay away from the streetlights.” Morcus instructed before they got to work. This was a boring first take that tested their eyesight more than anything looking for an open window in the dark. Harry was first to find a suitable car. “Psst, found one.” He said, notifying the wolf and hyena. They joined him after checking their own cars to no avail. “This one’s tiny, you two might as well just watch.” Harry noted while unlocking the door and opening it up. The interior light turned on immediately, and Morcus quickly decided for the jaguar. “Hey, get a glimpse then turn that light off!” The canine said with a sharp whisper. The light was turned off almost immediately after, and there was a jingling from inside. “Cup of change, jackpot as far as we’re concerned.” Harry said. “Gonna keep going?” Brian asked. “Why not? We’ve got time.” Morcus said. They continued searching cars for open windows, and found four more in the next hour, out of many. One had no money, two had loose random change they added to the cup they found earlier. 

The last car seemed empty until Brian checked the glove box, finding a pocket watch. The hyena softly gasped in awe while pulling it out. “No waaay...” He said. “What’d you find?” Morcus asked, coming back up the street and witnessing the hyena’s find. “That’s unbelievable.” The wolf said. The jaguar sniggered in disbelief for a moment before speaking, “How much do you think it’s worth?” Harry asked. “No clue. Not sure how we’ll find out either without filling out some paperwork.” The hyena replied while getting out of the car and closing the door as lightly as he could. “I say we call it here. Maybe come back some other time, but that watch just pushed us way ahead.” Morcus said. The other two nodded in agreement and Harry led the way back to the alley. “I wonder if we’ll blow up and end up like those Night Snatchers.” Brian said, thinking aloud. “Night...Snatchers?” Morcus asked, turning his head with a puzzled expression. “Oh right, forgot about them in the midst of you showing up. They’re like us, but bigger, more spread out, louder about how they do things, and they represent themselves, hence the name.” Brian replied. Morcus hesitated a little from the bad taste he just acquired. “That’s not gonna be how we roll. I’m not even giving us a name. We stay out of sight, all the time. Can’t catch who you can’t put a name or face to.” Morcus dictated. “I get the reasoning.” Harry said, the hyena silent, but not bothered. They returned, the wolf putting the pocket watch in a slit he clawed in the side of his mattress. Once again, they found themselves sleeping at sunrise.


	9. The Extended Tutorial

The following late evening the trio woke up about as together as they could without trying. “Food?” Harry queried. “Fooooood...” Brian groaned. “No argument from me. Where do you guys go? I’ve been in this city for almost two days and haven’t eaten here yet.” Morcus replied while stretching. “Gas stations and fast food places are our best friends at these hours.” Harry responded. “Gas stations? In this dense city?” Morcus implored. “You’d be surprised. There’s a couple in the thick of it all. Just not too nearby of one another. Fast food isn’t hard to find-“ The jaguar was interrupted. “Just take us to whatever, get that cup of change and let’s go. I haven’t been this long without food since that bloody drought...” Morcus whined. Brian lead the way this time, since both he and the jaguar knew the closest place for food. After a handful of minutes spent turning along the sidewalks and crossing streets, the trio arrived at a gas station. Morcus wrinkled his nose upon entering, not used to the rather unnatural smell. The two that he followed in didn’t notice, so he quickly hid his distaste. “So...what’s in one of these?” Morcus asked as he continued to follow through the aisles. “A lot of things. Fifty-five percent snacks. Forty percent drinks-“ The hyena’s explanation was cut off by Harry while he grabbed a can of soup from the shelf. “Ten percent meals! It’s not the best stuff, but it’s great in a pinch, and it’s safe to say we’re all in a pinch. Besides, it’s damn cheap.” The jaguar finished, the silver canine only shrugging. They counted the change in the aisle, then grabbed themselves 3 cans of soup each. They left and sat on the curb outside the gas station. “You must not have to warm these up.” Morcus assumed, looking at the tab on the top of his can. “Nah, just open it up and go at it like a drink.” Brian answered before taking a swig. The wolf gently shrugged and opened up his can, taking a sip and grimacing at the taste, “Fuck me, that’s... that’s gonna take some getting used to.” Morcus said, gradually powering through the can. “Yeah, welcome to the bottom.” The hyena retorted. 

They finished their canned meal, throwing it in a dumpster nearby before heading back. The night was still fairly young, by their standards, so on the way back to the alley, Morcus spoke up. “Can I get some guidance around here? A landmark or something? If I walk for three minutes I’ve no clue where I am.” Morcus proposed. “Why not? We can just walk around for a while. I know a handful that keep me on track.” The jaguar answered. “Lead the way.” The hyena commented. The trio strolled past their resting place and Harry decided to poke some fun at the wolf. “You know what this place is? If not, lemme know.” The feline checked with a mocking tone. “Yes, Point A, very funny. Tell me about Point B, C, D, and E.” The wolf replied with a bit of sarcasm. After a couple of blocks they reached a laundromat, lights from inside shining out onto the night, only one man, a human, was pulling out clothes. “Laundromat. Do laundry here, any time, any day, for a fee.” Harry noted, gesturing to the door as they walked past. “If I had any other clothes I would actually make an attempt to wash them.” Brian added. “Maybe I could get these splotches of dirt off if I ever get a spare outfit.” Morcus commented while looking inside as they passed the front windows. After a left turn and several blocks, a hotel. “What a gut punch seeing this is.” Morcus growled immediately. “It’s a fancy hotel as I’ve seen from the one time I went inside. Even if you had income it would probably put you back here.” Harry replied while admiring the height of the hotel that rivaled all but the skyscrapers. Over the course of the next hour they passed a restaurant that they all knew they’d never be eating from, the Exelton Library, and finally, a cafe, where the leading jaguar stopped. 

“I think that’s enough for tonight, unless you wanna wander around in Night Snatcher territory. It’s not that much to avoid, a block or two at most, but I’m just mentioning it in advance.” Harry warned. The silver wolf pondered for a moment, then shook his head. “Keep going. In fact, take me to them. I have an idea.” Morcus demanded. “Damn, really?” The hyena asked, looking at the canine with surprise. “Just go with it. Do you know where they’re at?” Morcus queried. “Know where that at? Get close enough and we can just hear them.” Harry answered quickly. “Onward, then.” Morcus said while gesturing to move forward. The feline continued on, and gradually music could be heard as well as felt. After a few minutes the music was loud, hinting that the source was close. “I’ll take point, it’s just a matter of listening now,” Morcus said, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder and lightly tugging at it. The leading feline slowed and let the wolf head the trio. The canine kept his ears open for the next few minutes, surprised to hear that the voices in the music had his British accent constantly. Despite the odd coincidence, he kept his focus and stopped just outside an alley. “This has to be it.” The wolf said to himself under the cover of the now blasting rap music. “Hey, what are you gonna do?” Brian said directly into the silver-furred ear in front of him. Morcus looked back to meet his curious and cautious expression, “Don’t worry about it. I’m just going to try and make everyone a little less...lucrative.” He reassured. The hyena only shrugged and walked alongside the jaguar, following the wolf into the alley as he turned the corner. 

Morcus kept a calm, peaceful exterior as he looked around. The visible part of the alley was fairly long, and at least a dozen people were hanging out along the walls. There were two covered speakers responsible for the sound, wired together with one at the back and the other halfway towards the street, the source of both wires leading around a corner. There were three reactions to the trio’s entrance. The first, and most common was jamming out, and not catching on to their presence. The second, and least common, gave them a short glance, then minded their own business. The last had them get stared down, and the eyes drilling a hole didn’t look away. Morcus strolled forward to the nearest staring member, a cloud white cat with brown eyes wearing a black hoodie and jeans. The wolf did his best to adjust his voice to the ambience. “Where’s the head of this place? I’d like to have a chat with them.” Morcus requested. The cat’s head cocked back ever so slightly, “You? I’ve never seen you or your friends here. Though you do sound like you belong in the Liquor Tricksters crew, so you have my bonus points. I’ll let someone else decide.” He looked down the alley, “Ey yo, K.F!” The cat beckoned. A bulky doberman in a blue tee and jogging pants that was sitting at a small table turned around, heading over to join the confrontation. “This random ass wolf wants to see Black Ice. Clearly not a good idea. But he does have that accent like the LT crew. What do you think?” The cat repeated to his canine friend. “Why don’t we escort him? Gather up a couple more bodies and let him speak his mind. Any funky plans and they won’t make it to the sidewalk” The doberman responded. “Got anything interesting on you?” He added after pausing. “If we wanted to hurt anyone we’d have to punch them.” The wolf reassured. The white feline nodded and followed the dog as he led the way. Morcus, Harry and Brian respectively followed behind. A horse and fox joined the group after being tapped on the shoulder and gestured along, taking up the rear behind the visitors. With a couple of turns and the trio keeping their head and eyes straight forward just in case, they went through a door and entered a spacious room. 

The music got significantly quieter when the door closed, still audible but at a reasonable level. The first bed Morcus had seen yet was a mattress in a frame like theirs in the back corner, except this one had a blanket to go with it. Along the walls were rectangles that had the size and shape of drawing boards, but had a fabric draped over them. Against the back wall was a throne made of many plastic crates and a black office chair that had its wheels and support removed. Atop this throne was a slender black goat with two white pinstripes on the top of his head leading back to his very short horns. He wore a black tee with the Liquor Tricksters’ arched, bold and runny logo as well as black jeans that had the grip of a handgun poking free. The goat only nodded and the cat began speaking. “We had some fellas approach me looking for you, I figured they were worth your time if they made the journey over here, I didn’t see any car pull up. Not to mention the silver one sounds like he could fit in with the Liquor Tricksters, but that’s just my take on it.” The feline clarified, maintaining a loyal tone he hadn’t given the wolf. The escorts in front parted to make way for the trio. Black Ice also matched Morcus’ British, surprising the silver canine a bit. “What do you blokes want ‘round here?” He implored with a harsh tone, his head now resting on a fist that stemmed from his arm on the armrest. “I have a request for you, rather, you and your entire crew,” Morcus began while taking a step forward. He paused to plan his verbage but Black Ice responded in that time. “That’s already a tall order, but you do sound like you could back up Kenny and the gang, what is it?” The goat investigated.

“I want you all to disband.” He requested. Brian and Harry were shocked by this proposal, but said nothing. The escorts gave him a look and the wolf could feel the eyes digging in. The goat sat up immediately, raising a finger in protest. “Whoooa, you what? Who the bloody hell do you work for?!” The leader hissed. “Myself, and no law around here or any other far off land. I stole over two hundred bucks to get in this city. Now hear me out, we’re all thieves in this city. I’m planning on having my own group formed-“ The wolf was cut off, Black Ice didn’t let him say another word. “So we can drop out of the spot and you lot can take our place, what a piss take-“ The Night Snatcher leader spat back, interrupted as the canine returned fire. “You get out of the spotlight and no one else takes your place. Noise attracts people and people attract the law. Continue your business but scatter, spread out. You made this place into a point of interest on the map. I’m never giving my team a name and you drop yours. What’s harder to track? Two big named groups or a wave of thievery that can never be chalked up to a common name?” Morcus sighed after finally getting his point across and resisted the urge to cross his arms in an attempt to keep at least his body language respectful. The air was still and tense. The goat put his hand down and sat silently for a moment. Everyone else in the room remained silent. It felt like an eternity as the leader pondered the wolf’s words while glancing down at the floor every now and then. Black Ice reached into his unarmed pocket and the music outside stopped. The goat took the steps down off his throne, revealing a thin, black cloak he wore that blended into the chair before. “Make some room in here,” He ordered while glaring ahead and aggressively walking to the door. Morcus stepped aside, as did everyone else. Everyone else remaining in the room, Night Snatcher or not, exchanged looks and shrugged. “We don’t know how he feels but we do know he’s gathering everyone in here soo...maybe?” The fox noted. After a minute, the black goat returned, seemingly everyone that he’d seen outside and more streaming inside behind their leader. The room became slightly cramped as the last Night Snatchers filed in, the visiting trio sticking together despite losing sight of their escorts.

Black Ice paced back and forth in front of his throne while making his announcement, “Alright, listen up. Got some big news for everyone. We’re changing our name and thinning ourselves out. When I say thinning out, no one’s getting kicked aside. I just want everyone to remember this address and take a hike. Keep your takes and belongings and maybe swing by once in a while, I don’t hate any of you. I’m not going anywhere, but the further you can spread yourselves out, the better for us all. You’re probably waiting on that name change. We won’t have one, that’s the name.” The goat had paused and stopped pacing and the murmurs began. With a whistle, it stopped like he pushed a button. “Timeline on the phase out isn’t locked in, but the moon’s out right now, so nothing says people can’t start filing out. No need to be loners, grab a few mates if you wish. As for my cut, call it a donation, but it’s not necessary. Ice out.” He returned to his throne and watched the Night Snatchers gradually leave the room. The hyena and jaguar were ready to leave, but the wolf was waiting for something. “What? I’m not telling my team to leave so you can stink up the place, bugger off. Unless you had some other plans...” He trailed off while reaching for his gun. “No, not at all. I just wanted to thank you, directly, for understanding. We’ll all benefit from this. I can feel it.” Morcus admired. “No need to be a kiss-arse politician about it, piss off already.” The goat said, shooing them away with one hand while retreating the other from his gun. “C’mon, let’s head home. I’ve gotten my fill of exploration tonight.” Morcus said, opening the door Harry and Brian before following them out. 

On the way back, the wolf tested himself by leading the way, managing to not get lost in the slightest. The trip also went without chatter, the canine feeling like he’d had his share of conversation. Upon returning to the alley, they sat on their beds, Morcus checking for the pocket watch. It was still there, and he sighed with relief. As soon as he turned around, the white cat he first confronted appeared once again. “You all are quite the subdued bunch on your end of the field.” He chuckled while scanning the alley from the sidewalk. Morcus huffed and stood up. “Why the commentary, as well as following us? Hope you’re not mad that I separated-“ The wolf was cut off as the cat shook his head, “No no, we’re all experienced, we can get by on our own. I came here to help you three. By the looks of it you all just started.” The cat examined. “Looks can be deceiving.” The hyena bluffed, backing up his canine friend. “Whatever, how might you be trying to help?” The wolf asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets idly. “Well, for starters, how do you go about selling something that ain’t yours? Money can’t be the only thing you take, right?” The white feline queried. The trio only exchanged glances before returning them all to their visitor. He only smirked and tilted his head. “Would you like to solve the fucking puzzle, genius?” Brian growled. “Fences.” He answered plainly. “What’s a fence...?” Morcus implored, cocking his head back. “You take something, I buy it from you, then sell it off elsewhere. I’m no fence, no fence is also a thief, but they’re all over the city, you just gotta know where to look, and what to say.” He explained confidently. Morcus decided to open up, realizing this was a fellow thief he was talking to. He reached into the side of his bed and pulled out the pocket watch, “We do have a need to sell this, and it’s only midnight, according to the moon, so if you aren’t too busy migrating, we could use some pointers.” The canine said. “Sure thing. I have something of my own I need dealt with anyways. Follow me.” The cat answered, waving them over as he strolled allng the sidewalk, the trio following with Morcus stuffing the watch in his pocket. 


	10. Tax-Free Sales

“I never got your name, of all the interaction we’ve had,” Morcus requested. “Call me W.T. What about you three?” The pure white cat asked. “I’m Morcus.” The wolf answered. “Harry.” The jaguar followed. “Brian.” The hyena finished. “We stick to initials when actually doing... Things.” The canine added. “Well understood, nice to meet you three.” W.T. said while turning a corner. “So, how’s this work?” Morcus asked. The feline took a quick look at his surroundings, which were still and empty, “There’s always a little hint you look out for. Completely worthless out of context, but a note for the customers they’re looking for. in this case, a painted corner.” He replied with a lowered tone. The trio took a mental note, the wolf in particular adding to his list of landmarks on the way there with an antique shop painted an outstanding blue. Numerous blocks and only one turn later, the destination was finally reached, at least, as far as the cat new. “Well? Can you see it?” He asked with a smirk. The trio looked around as their guide leaned on a store window. After a moment, Harry channeled his exclamation to his ears, “That paintbrush in two pieces across the street that’s on the wall.” He answered calmly. “Correct, but the fact that it’s in two pieces means he’s not in. I got more, no worries. Let’s pay this grain farmer a visit.” W.T. replied, continuing along the sidewalk. It was a straight shot a few blocks down before the feline stopped again. Morcus was the one to point out the next fence after a minute. “The burlap sack, under the crate?” He queried. “Bingo.” The Night Snatcher replied. He waved them along as he crossed the street. The cat let out a brief, two-tone whistle. “Lookin’ to buy some rice?” He said into the empty alley. A short, blue gray lynx strolled around the corner, sighing and pulling back the hood on her fur-matching hoodie upon seeing the group. 

“You know I have a problem with you bringin’ crowds, W.T.” The lynx replied, her gender revealed in her voice. “You’ll buy either way. Only me and the wolf are selling.” He responded casually. “Whatcha got?” She asked, stepping forward. “Just a question for ya.” He joked, pulling out a ring. “Yeah. I’d fall for you like I’m in zero gravity.” She retorted, snatching the ring while he grinned and holding it up to the light above a dumpster. “Dingy, and isn’t much worth mentioning. You didn’t even have a rock for me... Mm, 10K. At least it’s real. Fifty.” She teased while turning back to the white cat. “Hard bargain, Millie. Deal.” He said, the lynx slapping a bill in his extended hand. “What about you, pup?” Millie implored while looking around her the cat. Morcus stepped forward shyly, pulling out the pocket watch. “Got a pocket watch.” He said, his tongue almost turning beige from how much more plain he was than W.T. “Someone’s nervous. First time? I’ll be gentle.” She chortled while examining the watch. “Still spinning. I’ll be damned.” She continued. “This thing only has a scratch, I can mark this up. I’ll do a hundred.” The lynx finished. “Really? I’ll take it.” She handed over the money and put her hood back up, strolling around the corner deeper in the alley. “Thanks for the rice, I know I’ll be eating tonight.” Millie said out of sight. “Good feeling isn’t it? Earning money for your efforts. Know how to get back?” The cat asked as they returned to the sidewalk. “Yeah, I can handle it. Where are you going with the Night Snatcher spread happening?” The wolf wondered. “Oh I’ve got K.F. and a couple more in our own spot, don’t worry.” W.T replied. “Alright then, good luck out there.” Morcus said as the cat and trio went their separate ways. The night was on its backend as they made their way back home. “We could hit the store, use the money to give the place a little upgrade.” Harry suggested. “How about we cover the alley with tarp? You’re lucky, our beds are wet.” Brian bemoaned. “We’re not getting to the roof, we’ll have to nail it into the wall. Every time I have work to do I’m gonna be happy I did way more in Caris.” Morcus said, thinking back on all the work he had to put in daily. “I'll lead, I know an all night hardware store. Bit of a walk, though.” Brian said. 

The trip to the store took a fair bit of time. The sky was a dark blue when they got to the alley again. They spent more of the profit than Harry and Brian expected. Their canine leader wanted to cover more than just the portion of the alley they slept in. The originally planned tarp was nailed into the walls and slanted down to the sidewalk, Morcus doing the nailing while Brian gave him a slight lift so that they’d be well off the ground, but low enough. The next went over the area just in front of the door, which the jaguar and hyena disagreed with and found unnecessary, but did anyway. This one slanted into the small overhang that was just over the door. More tarp went the opposite direction from the door, covering the rest of that part of the alleyway up until just past the intersection that led to the street opposite where they resided. The other alley that neighbored theirs and the opposing alley went uncovered as the last of their tarp covered the rest of the alley to the wall that led to the neighboring alley instead. “Why are we covering all of this? We have nothing to cover aside from our spot.” Brian asked, annoyed by the extra cost and effort that seemed to go to waste. “Planning ahead. Way ahead. You’ll see.” Morcus reassured. “Whatever you say.” The hyena scoffed. The sky turned orange as the trio yawned. “Fuck, it’s getting early.” Harry said while scratching himself. “Yeah, we’re done. Off to bed we go.” Morcus declared. Quickly, the trio was out for the day.


	11. New Blood

The following evening Morcus woke up first and by himself, just as the sun was setting, hearing the pattering of light rain on the tarp. They were all dry, to the wolf’s surprise. He was going to say “Well would you look at that, it held up,” But he decided against speaking when he noticed the new figure in a light blue shirt and jeans that lay curled up in the ball on the ground just inside their new roof. The canine approached slowly, standing behind and looking down at them with his hands in his pockets. “Hey. What’s up?” He asked softly. “Wet. Broke. Unsure where to go from here.” The voice revealed that this was a female laying on the ground. “Can you get a job?” He asked, long past asking himself that question. “Probably not with my record.” She explained. “Whoa, record?” He quickly responded. “This is my third firing from drug tests. Just bad timing. Last had the weed a month ago.” She replied. “Your timing always that bad?” He asked with a bit of sass. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She snapped back, feeling so attacked she rolled over. Morcus was talking to a weasel with golden brown fur. He personally had only seen them once before in Caris, but he contained his surprise and carried on with the conversation. “I ask because what we do requires good timing, and being able to keep very quiet, and swift, agile movements. All while avoiding the law. Hint. Hint.” He said. “You stealin’ stuff?” She implored. “Depends on if the person who’s asking is the type to run away and scream.” He growled, unhappy that he had to clarify. “The last thing I ran from was a dealer because I stole part of his stash.” The weasel replied. “See, that’s what I wanted to hear. Almost. Good enough, though.” He cheered, extending a hand and helping her off the ground as Brian stirred, speaking with his eyes closed, “I hear rain, and I’m not wet. Good.” The hyena muttered. “What’s your name?” He asked while leaning on the wall, quickly getting away from it when the tarp dripped from its edge onto him. She chuckled at his wet error, “Nice one, the name’s Neela. Neela S-“ The wolf quickly cut her off. “First names only. Give your last name to the station. My name’s Morcus.” He corrected while brushing the water off his head. “Fine by me.” She said with a shrug. “Hello, Neela.” The jaguar said, rolling out of bed and stretching after having been motionless otherwise. “My name’s Harry.” He added. “Holy shit, how long have you been up?” Brian asked, finally getting out of bed himself. “Since the conversation started.” He replied. “I’ll be sure to watch my secrets around you then,” The weasel said, looking at the jaguar, then out at the rainy street. “So, what do you normally do?” She asked. “We’re early on in things, we did one take, but other than that, the past few nights have been setting up. Now that it’s raining... Hell if I know.” Morcus explained. 

“Got anymore beds?” Neela requested. “We could let you lay on a frame. Got plenty of those, just we’d have to make it and that takes some hours. It’s the mattress we can’t guarantee.” The wolf answered. “Hours? You plan on stayin’ up all night?” The weasel complained. “That’s what we do. Didn’t you see us sleeping? We’re going nocturnal here.” Harry replied. “Stay up with us, get yourself adjusted.” The silver canine consoled. She sighed and walked deeper into the alley past the beds. “Alright, where’s it at?” She grumbled. Morcus passed her, Harry and Brian joining him. He opened the door and gestured her in as the other two strolled inside. She walked in and looked around, investigating the shelves of boxes with crossed arms as the wolf quickly went in and joined the hyena and jaguar opening the same boxes, “You know whose this is?” The weasel wondered. “Nope, but it hasn’t been touched in forever.” Brian answered. “Come on over here! The more hands we have the faster this thing can get put together.” Morcus barked. Despite what he said, it took as long as the night the others were made, the moon peeking in through the roof like before. “Fuck I’m tired...” Neela groaned. “That’s how I felt the first night. I used to be a farmer, I’d wake up only a few hours from now normally. Just trudge through.” He soothed. “Ready to check for a mattress or do you wanna sleep on the frame to stay dry?” He asked. “Let’s go check. What do you mean check, anyway?” She implored, picking up one end of her frame and carrying it out the door with the hyena. “Well we go to this store to check for free stuff, if they have a mattress, we take it.” The wolf answered while holding open the door. The new frame was placed next to Harry’s and they set off for the store. Stock was hearty compared to last time, but still slim. There was a second mattress this time, but she didn’t care and picked the first thing they saw. They were all some degree wet upon returning, and Neela’s mattress was a bit smaller when placed, but she was no taller than shoulder height to them all so it didn’t matter. 

Morcus decided to make a couple more bed frames for when others came by, taking up the rest of the night. The rain stopped when dawn broke and they all slept peacefully upon sunrise until just before or just after noon, where Brian was poked by a forest green lizard wearing an unzipped scale-matching hoodie and a plain white shirt underneath with a white baseball cap on that had a silver B on the front. He stirred and squinted up at the scaly figure. “Didn’t your mother tell you not to touch the homeless man?” He snapped drowsily. “Dude, I’m homeless too so... Doesn’t the nullify it?” He asked with a shrug. “...Lemme see that hat real quick.” Brian requested. The hat was handed over, revealing the lizard's messy but short blonde hair. It was immediately thrown at the wolf who jumped out of bed in response. “Phone for ya.” He teased before closing his eyes. Morcus looked over at the lizard who gave a shy wave. “Bollocks...” The wolf muttered to himself, picking up the hat and dragging his feet over to him. “Why’re you here?” Morcus asked while giving the visitor a once over and returning his hat. “I’m outta the game, I need somewhere to stay.” He replied. “There’s a hotel around the corner.” The canine countered before yawning. “I can’t afford to spit on their bushes, bro.” The lizard said, extending his empty pockets. “Jobs?” He wondered, leaning on the wall after confirming that the tarp wasn’t dripping. "I wanted to do sports, but didn't get anywhere fast enough, and was pretty stubborn about my goal, so my mom kicked me out." Brian snorted with his eyes closed after the lizard's reply. "Still hellbent on getting into a league?" Morcus asked, keeping the questions going as usual. "Not now that my mother smacked some sense into me, literally, and told me to never come back. I don't know where any other relatives are, and I didn't get to know my friends too well outside of school, so I'm out here I guess." He recalled. "There's some money in it for you here, but you've got to be in it to win it, and do anything for it." The wolf hinted, glaring at the lizard. The scaly male hesitated, returning the stare, then nodded. "What's that mean?" Morcus asked, crossing his arms. "Yes, whatever it takes." The lizard admitted, and the canine returned the nodding. "Let's see if they have a bed for you in the store across the street. They're free, we wouldn't be sitting in an alley if we had to pay for them." Morcus explained as he was followed to the street, squinting under the sun he hadn't seen shine so brightly in many hours. "Bugger me... Gimme that hat." Morcus grumbled, only half-asking. For the second time, the hat was handed over, the wolf putting it on and sighing, "What's your name anyway? First name." He asked while keeping his head down due to the sun. "Jason." The lizard responded dryly. "My name's Morcus." He said while crossing the street, putting extra focus into crossing the street since he had only crossed an actually busy street a handful of times in his whole life. "I have to ask, the beds may be free but where are you getting the whole frame to put it on?" Jason wondered. "We make them, and I'll explain that further when everyone can't listen." The canine replied with a hushed tone. "Ohhhh, gotcha." The lizard noted, catching onto how the alley was run. A single mattress remained for the lizard, and it was carried back to the alley. After leaning the mattress against the wall, the frame was carried through the door with a bit more difficulty, not having anyone to hold the door open. Soothing Morcus' worry, no one was woken up by the occasional clanking of the frame on the door. Once all was set up, the wolf stood there idly, unsure of what to do with his surprise guest, "Errr... Fuck. Just... Stay here, don't go to sleep or you'll hate yourself later, wait for us to wake up. If you try to run, we'll find you, like the last guy who tried to run." Morcus bluffed. "Oh don't worry about me, man. I don't have anything better to do," Jason reassured while sitting on the bed, taking the canine's word.

It was well past sunrise when Neela woke up first, stretching and looking over at the newest member, who gave a short wave from his bed. She looked over at the others, then back at him, heading over and shaking his hand. "Neela." She stated. "'Sup. Jason. I dunno what the hell goes on around here," He replied. "I've only done one thing, and that's go out in the rain to get my bed, and assemble some bed frames, which took all night. Otherwise, I don't fuckin' know either," The weasel said after a yawn. Brian and Harry woke up almost simultaneously and greeted the lizard, the leader waking up last, silently sitting on the side of his bed, facing away from the others for a moment before springing up. "Alright, let's get these new feet wet, I'll explain on the way. Harry, you take point." He ordered, the jaguar nodding and leading the way to their familiar sidewalk where the first profits were made. "So, we're nicking whatever we can, from some cars that are lining the sidewalk. All we're looking for is an unlocked door or an open window and some loot inside. If a light comes on, turn it the bloody hell off. If a car approaches, get your head down, unless you're in a car already. Then you turn the light back on and just go about your business, you're getting something from your car. Lastly, initials only whenever we're out on a job." The wolf explained quietly, informing the two newcomers of the situation. Jason gave the canine a tap on the shoulder, "Why don't we just leave the light on?" He queried. “Between seeing the occasional light flash and seeing a light stay on for a full minute or so, on multiple cars, I’d take barely seen over still visible.” Morcus explained. A fair walk later, they approached the line of cars again. There were fewer to check this time, though not so much that the experienced trio would lose any hope. "Alright, split up down the road, check doors, open windows are gold, move." The canine noted, and the process began without another word. Generally, the finds were scarce, but the five outliers among many small finds or outright locked cars made the ninety minutes spent searching worth it. Of the four exceptions were two more coin cups which were both found by Neela, Morcus snagged a game controller that hadn't been taken out of its packaging (or its bag from the store). Finally, just as they ran out of cars, Jason called over the leader. "Hey, M, what's your take on this? I don't know anything about phones 'cuz I've never had one." The lizard queried, pulling out a phone and showing it while kneeled next to the open door. "Whoa, lemme see that!" Morcus snapped quietly while holding the controller under his arm and snatching the phone, quickly taking the back off of it and ripping out the battery. He had only seen enough phones in his life to count on one hand, but from the mall visits he had one visit to a cell carrier's store and learned how to take the battery out of most models, and that meant they couldn't turn on. He didn't know much beyond that about electronics in general, but the knowledge came in handy soon enough. He stuffed the phone and battery in his pockets, "That thing could turn on or something, and I don't even know what after that." He said while grabbing the controller in his once again free hands. "If you took the battery out, you don't have anything to worry about." The jaguar interjected. "That's good news. We'll hold on to it and take it straight to the fence. For now, we're done here, let's head home." Morcus instructed. They headed back, the wolf gathering opinions on the new recruits. "I'm surprised we found anything, but I'm definitely grateful." Jason shrugged. "A little bit of a rush when I found something, but only a little, given how I'm sure the stakes could be much higher." Neela replied. "Speaking of that, we need a new avenue, literally and figuratively. I am not letting us rely on that one spot any longer, even if it means more risk." The silver canine noted. 

They made a quick stop at home, the leader making a quick analysis on the dumpster that took up valuable bed space and did nothing else at the moment. "Nothing has come to this alley for trash in weeks, and the dumpster's basically empty. We'll start using it as storage. Not for everything, but cups of coins will be a good start. We don't plan on eating out of them, at least, I hope none of you do." Morcus announced. The cups were set down in the dumpster, Brian wrinkling his nose as soon as he stuck his head in. "Fuckin' A, they may be empty but that doesn't mean you can't the whole thing's past, damn!" The hyena groaned, grateful for the fresh air that returned soon after. "Harry, Brian, you two stay back. Keep the numbers paying a visit as low as possible while I give these two some more ropes. This time the wolf led the way to the fence, who was available as indicated by the sack being under the crate. "I got some fresh wheat out here." Morcus said to seemingly nothing. Millie returned again, strolling slowly towards the visitors. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. You already knew but you did it anyway. This must really be fresh wheat, Morcus." She joked with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. "Yeah, they are, I'm showing them as much as I can." The wolf replied. "How much for this?" He implored, handing over the controller. "You just up and buy this brand new? Fuck, thirty. Only because I'm not the only one selling these." The lynx offered. "Deal." He said dryly, taking his money and pulling out the phone. "Now, I-" He barely managed to start. "Nonono, I don't do decorative shit," She said with a wink that was barely visible under her hood, "You want the candlemaker on 5th Street, make sure to give two thumbs up no matter what." Millie added. "Got it," Morcus said, walking backwards to the sidewalk while the blue gray lynx returned to her back alley, the lizard and weasel following him out. "Sod it, I've no idea where 5th Street is." The canine said while looking around. "I can take you there, I've done plenty of commutes downtown, not that they're remotely fun or fast." Neela recalled with a sigh while taking point. "Remember what street this is because I might not be able to get us back." The wolf warned. "Don't worry, I can get through this place drunk." She said confidently. The moon shifted into a large cloud when she let her leader guide again to look for the hint at the fence. "You two got how that works, right?" He asked. "Totally." Jason replied. "Crystal clear." Neela said right after. After searching almost every wall for a few blocks, he found an unopened, long and thin candle thumbtacked to a wall just above the ground on both ends. "How many scents do you have?" Morcus wondered to no one, lacking some trust in the fence's word but going through with it nonetheless. A yellow woodpecker wearing eyeglasses poked his head around the corner before walking forward, exposing his jeans and yellow plaid button down shirt. His frame was as thin as the candle he signaled with, though he was slightly taller than all three of his visitors. He waved with a one of his hands that were covered by well worn gloves. "Haven't seen you before..." He said warily despite greeting them. His voice came off as worn, as if he were old, though he didn't look much like it. "No, I just had this. The name's Morcus by the way." Morcus said bluntly, pulling out the phone. "I'm Alvo. I'll take a look at that." The woodpecker said, taking the phone and battery and examining them both. He held them both in one hand and pulled a multitool out of his pocket to expose a screwdriver. After unscrewing and opening a new compartment of the phone Morcus hadn’t caught onto, Alvo put the battery back in and pinned the screwdriver to the phone while turning it on. Morcus was worried that there was some countermeasure to prevent people from snatching the portable device. White text on a black screen revealed "TELLARINE" Then a jingle played, making the wolf's ears perk. "Dude, you alright? You look like you have a gun to the back of your head." Jason worried. "Yeah... I'm fine." Morcus reassured with a light sigh, trying to calm himself down. The little gray handheld brick's tiny screen changed to a sunset with the time, 03:17, displayed, which Morcus assumed was correct, enjoying the fact that he knew what time it was for once. "Eugh, who in the hell's usin' twenty-four hour time?" The woodpecker muttered to himself before continuing. "Anyway, it works, and is in good condition, which surprises me. Most people can't find a candle that ain't shattered to bits. Mmmmmm I'll do a hundred and eighty-five." Alvo decided. "Holy shit!" Neela exclaimed, immediately getting a long, scolding shush from their avian fence. "We're a little fresh in the farming business, deal, though." Morcus admitted. "Well, consider yourselves very lucky. It's hard to get your hands on one of these out here without buying one from me. I sell without the wax that you were probably worried about. I know all the tricks, this thing ain't gettin' a blip out until I let it." He replied while handing over the cash from a fat and aging brown wallet that had not a single card in it. "Say, if we do find a broken one, do you do repairs?" The wolf asked after hesitating. "I'm the only one that does. It takes a couple of weeks, and you have to pay up front, but I can get you a good little burner." The woodpecker bragged. "Noted... Thanks." Morcus said, the trio of thieves heading back to the sidewalk while Alvo returned to his alley. "We couldn't get more out of that thing? Not that I don't want it. Just looks like you could friggin' return it." The lizard complained. "Gotta make a profit," Neela replied. He had nothing to say back, understanding plenty.

After a long walk, with the golden brown weasel guiding, the trading thieves returned to their home alley with a moon closing in on the horizon. "So, Morcus throw the phone to the street out of fear?" The hyena cackled from his bed. "The candle, ahem, actually got us this." Morcus trailed off and pulled out their reward. "Well I'm fuckin' grateful." Brian retracted his laughter upon seeing the cash. "We're eating, first thing tomorrow night, right?" Harry hoped. "I was gonna try to do that anyway, but now I wanna get rid of all of it, give us a stockpile of sorts." The canine answered. "I don't wanna get my food outta that damn dumpster or I'll lose my appetite." Brian growled. "We can dump some air freshener in there." Jason said. "I would say I don't have much hope in that, but the one air freshener my mum had could cover a whole field, I swear. Too bloody powerful for one room." Morcus recalled while putting their winnings in one of the coin cups in the dumpster. "Whatever, man. As long as I ain't the one openin' that fuckin' thing for a real long time." Brian grumbled. The rest of the night went on with idle chatter before they all turned in at sunrise.


	12. Found Under Fire

Morcus woke up on his own at sunset, quietly pacing about the alley, looking around for anything of use. He noticed a small window above Harry's bed that led inside the storage room. It was as far up the wall as it could be, a bit more than a jump out of reach; Whoever wanted to get in through there would need a boost. The silver wolf eyed the window, heading through the heavy metal door to look at it from the other side. He couldn't even see the window from inside as the shelves were too packed with boxes. He gave the shelving a tug and a yank, and it didn't budge, so he started climbing. He hardly had enough space to put his foot on the shelf to climb to the next one. When he reached the fifth and highest shelf, he reached a dead end, hanging there for a moment. "Now how in the hell am I gonna move these..." He wondered. The box right in front of his face was fairly wide and labeled "SPARE SHELVING COMP." He frowned, but gave the box a knock in the little space it had. It felt weightless. "What?" He squinted while batting it the other way. It could only feel lighter if there were less sides of the box to move. "Oh we're having a laugh. Shelving components my arse..." He grumbled, still accepting the easier task. He had trouble pulling the box off the shelf due to how little room there was, but soon the empty box was freed with a cloud of dust that had him shake his head for a moment. Morcus leaned down to let it drop a few feet to the floor then looked back up on the shelf. The window's top edge peered over a few more boxes which he shuffled around with the occasional grunt. These were actually full and weighed enough to prove it. With a little more unsettled dust, the window had one final box that was right up against it. He climbed up on the shelf, having to crawl on his stomach due to how close the ceiling was to the shelf. It raised up as it got towards the middle, but next to the wall where the shelves were, he may as well have been in a vent. Slowly, Morcus crawled to the "Where's the wolf?" He heard Neela wonder from outside. "I was wondering when he'd just run like that." He heard Brian's bitter grumble. "Have faith in him, the dumpster's still got the money in it." He heard Harry's contrastingly soft tone reassure his hyena friend. Morcus slid the box out of the way and opened the window, which squeaked a bit, alerting his fellow thieves to his presence. "You get bored or somethin'?" Brian joked when his leader poked his head out. "Bro, how'd you get up there?" Jason wondered. "I think we just got ourselves a little hiding spot. Move that dumpster over here, funnel yourself in this window, who could be any the wiser?" The canine responded. "What about the other side?" Harry queried. "Shift the boxes around and that'll be the end of that worry. There's like shoulder's width of space up here. Curl up in here and you'll be tucked away. Actually, I'll adjust these now." The wolf slowly turned around and got away from the wall, using the boxes to block as much of the window as he could while leaving some room for an escapee. Finally, he got back down to the floor, brushing the dust off his shirt and heading back outside. "Let's try this out before we commit to moving that bloody thing. Jason, give me a boost." He asked. "Sure thing." The lizard replied. The jaguar's bed was moved aside and the wolf was lifted rather easily up to the window. The canine grabbed the bottom of the window and slid inside, disappearing from every angle except looking directly inside. Jason stood up and turned around to step back, "Dude, walk past this alley and he's invisible." The lizard commented. "It's not comfortable, but I didn't expect it to be." He said while sticking his feet back out and sliding free to return to the ground. "Alright. Let's move that dumpster over here then we can go get food." Morcus directed. "Awww now I've gotta be next to the dumpster." Harry groaned. "Welcome to the other side of the fence." Neela sniggered. Harry and Jason got to one side, with Morcus and Brian on the other. “One, two, three, move!” Harry called out, and with a grunt the dumpster moved. “Thank fuck this thing’s on wheels.” Brian groaned. “It’s not that heavy.” Jason replied. The hyena shook his head, and the dumpster was turned and positioned on the other wall. They all sighed, and Neela suddenly took the first go at the window, swiftly climbing atop the dumpster and easily making her way in the window, not going through the song and dance of tucking in, and getting back out atop the dumpster before hopping down. “If I can do it, who can’t?” She asked. The others shrugged and Brian scoffed, “Someone who hasn’t eaten, that’s who.” The hyena retorted. “Alright, grouchy, let’s get our food.” Morcus giggled while pulling the bills out and putting them in his pocket. 

They got to the gas station and cleaned out all of the food they could find useful, the immense number of grocery bags being distributed evenly amongst the five of them. It felt like a long walk on the way back with no one being spared the weight of some bags. There was commotion in the distance, and they all did their best to ignore it... But it got louder. It got closer. It went from distant noise to almost completely comprehensible. It was coming from behind. Morcus looked over his shoulder and saw a figure rapidly closing in on them, with two others chasing. The finally, they could all understand something. “Suspect heading northbound on Ruthers Street!” A male yelled. “Hold these, one of you, and bunch up to the right, will you?” Morcus conducted. “I’ll take the extras.” Harry offered, taking the wolf’s share of bags as they all bunched up to leave a lane for the approaching suspect to pass. “Go home, act casual, you’re all just beggars that got a lucky.” Morcus noted. “Well we are,” Brian said with a hint of bitterness that the canine ignored. Morcus took his own space in front of the other thieves, walking casually until the hunted figure bolted past. Like it was his turn in a relay race, he immediately darted off, trying to catch up with the suspect. The officers chasing passed the group a handful of seconds later, close enough to follow but not catch. The hooded figure hadn’t even noticed Morcus was joining in, let alone catching up until he had made a right before an intersection and cut across the street, using the emptiness of Exelton’s streets at night to his advantage. By the time Morcus reached the other sidewalk, he caught up. “Who the hell are you? I almost shoved you into the damn streetlight!” The suspect queried after a quick glance at the wolf. “I’m on your side. Calm down, but don’t slow down. What are you running for?” Morcus asked he followed the suspect left around a corner. “I’m beating them to a fucking bake sale so I get the last cupcake. What’s it look like?!” The suspect hissed. “No, what did you do? I might just be able to help you out, and more.” The wolf implored further. “I was in the highrise apartments stealing, bonked a table, left as fast as I could, but I was on a high floor and the cops pulled up as I hit the sidewalk. Been running for a some blocks now. I dunno where their backup is.” He clarified. “That’s the answer I was looking for. Follow me. I’ll get you out of this!” Morcus directed, taking the slight lead. They were just at another intersection, but Morcus went right instead of left. “That’ll cost us some ground!” The suspect criticized. “Almost there, don’t worry about it!” He soothed. The officers did indeed gain slightly, catching up after falling behind from the earlier corner and neutralizing its advantage. Just after another block, the wolf gave the suspect a heads up, “Right and around this corner, full speed, all the distance we can get!” Morcus noted. They were already well past a jog, but until the corner they topped out, the canine almost getting passed due to the slight difference in top speed. They turned in unison, sharing the sidewalk with their turns. After a moment, the alley was reached. “In here!” Morcus commanded, and they turned into the alley, the canine not taking the time to look back. He stopped the suspect next to the dumpster and hastily gave directions while panting, “Up on the dumpster and in that window. Stuff yourself in good and face the boxes, I’m gonna go play civilian.” The silver wolf ordered, not even letting the suspect respond. He acted like he didn’t want to anyway, getting in the window in almost one movement as Morcus went back out to the sidewalk to lean on the wall and catch his breath. 

As the officers came around the corner he exaggerated both stages of his breathing. They stopped on a dime in front of him, and finally he could take the time to examine them. One officer was a human with a now red face and short brown hair, the other an cream colored rabbit, the former instantly starting the questions. “What were you doing with him, he was a wanted suspect, and where did he go?” He asked, both of them joining in the panting while the rabbit scanned the street nearby for anyone else. Morcus did his best to neutralize his accent, “I was just seeing why he was running. I didn’t notice you two were...” He trailed off to take a breath, “Chasing him up until a block or so before. I couldn’t keep up with him but I saw him go around that corner to the left.” He resolved. “Go! Head around the corner, I’m gonna search this place.” The human ordered. The rabbit nodded and ran around the corner out of sight. The man glared with suspicion at the wolf, who met his gaze with docility. After a moment of pant-filled silence, the officer gave his radio a tug, “Dispatch, this is Victor Two Alpha, suspect lost. Last seen by a bystander heading eastbound on Holton Avenue. Victor Two Bravo’s checking his last known while I search around, requesting we get containment set up out here.” He let go of his radio and pulled out a flashlight, slowly making his way up the alley while a female on the other end responded. “Copy that, units have been notified and are patrolling the perimeter along North Gareth Avenue, Square Boulevard, Fifth Avenue and Ratings Street.” She informed as the human shined his flashlight in the dumpster and continued scanning until he reached the other end. The suspect breathed slowly, far more slowly than his body wanted, keeping his breath silent. The officer opened the door and the noise made him twitch on the shelf, but he kept still, almost holding his breath as the light gazed about the room for what felt like the longest minute of his life. The door opened again as the man left the room and returned to the sidewalk, turning off his flashlight and putting it back on his waist, eyeing Morcus and walking off, still scanning the barren city streets. He used his breath as a measure of time, calling out the suspect from the window, whose black hoodie couldn’t have been a better fit to hide his presence. “Hey, it’s safe to come out now.” Morcus notified, and the suspect dropped down, immediately shaking the wolf’s hand while pulling his hood down. “Thank you. Saved my ass, that’s for sure. I was just hoping I could lose them in corners. The name’s Jeremy.” The suspect was a yellow eyed cat with deep purple fur. “I’m Morcus, no problem. Guess that means you’re not a Liquor Trickster.” The wolf responded. “Oh hell no.” The cat scoffed. Immediately after the greeting, Jeremy took off his hoodie and jeans, revealing a gray shirt and basketball shorts underneath. The wolf looked away when the pants came off, lowering his guard when he saw the shorts, “You still hot or-“ Morcus was cut off, “No, shedding my description.” The cat shoved threw the extra layers in the dumpster and sighed. “That’s quite clever, actually.” The canine complimented. “I’ve got experience, but that’s my first police encounter. I’m not calling it a win.” Jeremy said, now taking the time to look around ask about his fancy surroundings, “You live here? This is a set up for some broke folks.” He wondered. “Yeah. Saw the folks with bags you passed? They’re with me. We’re stocking up on supplies. You, should definitely lay low. I’ll hang back as well, just in case. One of the others can look into getting you a bed.” Morcus answered. The purple feline nodded, and the other thieves returned with the bags. 

“Fucking hell, my arms.” Brian groaned. “These bag handles are engraved in my hands.” Neela whined. “We can put them in the room, think of a situation later.” Morcus instructed while getting the door for them. The bags were set down and they returned to sit on their beds. “Quick introduction. Everyone, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, the brownish weasel is Neela, the lizard is Jason, the hyena is Brian, and the jaguar is Harry.” He clarified. “Nice to meet you all.” The cat said with a greeting nod. “Take a break, but I need two to check the back for a mattress. I’m staying here for the night, but Jeremy definitely can’t move for a while.” The wolf announced. “I can go.” Jason volunteered. “I’ll head over.” Neela offered. After a few minutes, the lizard and weasel returned empty-handed. “Nothing. Unless he wants to sleep in a dining room chair.” The weasel replied. “Damn. I could sleep on those boxes inside. Would be better than whatever these frames look like without a mattress, I’m sure.” Jeremy said. “For now, you’ll have to.” Morcus noted, standing up and slowly pacing about, “Now that we’re all here, I’m making a slight change. From here on, go out and find your takes. What you find is yours, but if you want to donate to keep the metaphorical lights on, feel free. I think we can all get out and back on our own now. If I have something I want to schedule, I’ll let you all or whoever is involved know. Go on your own, or with a buddy, or however you all feel like. Just know if you don’t come back by sunrise, I assume you’re dead or being given the shelter you’re not allowed to get out of. Any questions?” Morcus added. Silence followed, and he nodded. “Alright, let’s disperse and do some scouting. Obviously Jeremy and I can’t go anywhere. Don’t get hasty, actually don’t take anything tonight, we don’t know if those cops are still roaming around.” Morcus directed, gesturing everyone to clear out, which they did, the cat looking at him as he went to the intersection of the alleyways. “You’re really trying to stand tall out here.” Jeremy pointed out. “I’m just trying to set things up out here. I got the first part of the equation done, which was getting in this city. Now I’m trying to plant myself and get something going. Also getting used to leading while figuring out this network that’s definitely going on this place’s alleys.” Morcus explained, examining the alley while pacing around some more. “Getting the city? You not from here?” Jeremy implored. “I’m actually from Caris. If you haven’t heard of it, which I wouldn’t be surprised, it’s a little farm town at least an hour out from here. Cannot recommend it.” The wolf said, bitterly recalling the farmer’s life he was almost doomed to. “You had a car at some point? That’s a hell of a walk.” Jeremy wondered. “No. Took a taxi. Stole every penny I needed to get down here, evaded my parents trying to stop me, and here I am.” He explained further. “Sounds like a change of pace. Maybe I could give you some pointers. Not the same as stealing from a barn out here.” The feline suggested. “I’d call you out for assuming it was a barn I stole from but you’re not exactly wrong.” Morcus said, finally leaning on the wall next to his newest member who chuckled, “Say, about Jason. You know if he did any surfing before coming around here?” The cat wondered. “No? I don’t know. He only mentioned sports. Why?” Morcus replied. “You hear his voice? He sounds like he’s never been away from water.” Jeremy said. “And I’ve spent my years around people who have so much drawl they can’t finish a bloody sentence, but I don’t sound like I lived in a bowl of dust,” The wolf retorted. “Point taken.” Jeremy admitted. “There’s a skylight in here, so we can safely see the night sky, come take a look,” The silver wolf invited with a wave, heading inside through the metal door with the purple cat following behind.


	13. Scouting Report

Neela, Jason, Harry and Brian were strolling about the streets together, initially, until the jaguar suggested they split off to cover more ground. They diverged evenly, Harry and Brian sticking together, with Neela and Jason going down their own road, literally, as the former continued straight, and the latter turned left. The lizard and weasel scanned the buildings, searching for a target. “What about a store? There’s lots of those and they’re pretty simple front to back.” Jason wondered. “Yeah, and lots of security measures too. I’ve personally never heard of someone getting out of those clean, in the long term. Then again I’m somewhat new to all of this. Someone else can do it, but I’m not going for it.” Neela replied. The lizard shrugged and they continued on in silence, eyeing a gas station from the far side of an intersection. “Hey, how about a gas station?” Jason asked while removing his hat for a moment to scratch his hair. “No. It’d be an easy target, but we’d be shooting ourselves in the foot. We could end up needing to buy from them, or this might be linked closely to the others.” Neela vetoed. “Moving on.” The weasel directed after the lizard huffed. A few blocks from this gas station was another set of apartments, which she was quick to point out. “More apartments. Definitely not the same ones we went to before. They look much better.” She said. The cars they found in the parking garage were almost all of much higher quality than found at the one they visited before. “There’s a door down there. Think we could try to get in and have a look around?” Jason asked. Neela shrugged, “No harm in trying. Keep an eye out, no idea what’s out here.” The weasel replied. Inside they went, taking the stairs to avoid the holdup or noise of an elevator. Immediately, they found a camera, at the end of every hallway they went into. “Pretty sure this is a suicide run.” Jason commented. “Yeah, no doubt.” She agreed. They checked the next two of several floors, and finally, Neela called it off, so they went looking for another target. 

Meanwhile, the jaguar and hyena had turned to an entirely different part of Exelton City. The skyscrapers were fading into more average sized buildings, and eventually becoming houses. They sat on the curb at an intersection just before a neighborhood, pondering the opportunity. “Houses. A pretty big step up from an unlocked car.” Brian said. “Indeed, but given how the apartments J failed to hit are the only easy ones around the city, this seems like our next best bet. We don’t even know how hard it’ll be yet. Come on, Brian.” Harry replied. “Alright, alright. Let’s go take a look.” Brian relented before getting up and leading the way across the street. He scanned the front entrance during their approach. “Not changed from last time I’d been here.” The hyena noted, the feline silently nodding in agreement. The neighborhood was walled off alongside a treeline, with the entrance gated and a wooden cursive sign that read “Southwestern Acres,” In reference to how the neighborhood was southwest of downtown. While there was no easy way in through the larger gate, Brian strolled through the smaller gate for the sidewalk like it was an unlocked door, “That was easy enough.” He commented. “Not one measure to stop the entry here. I won’t ask.” The jaguar added as they soon reached a short yet steep hill, overlooking most of the neighborhood, “That’s a lotta takes.” Brian said with his new perspective on the view of dozens of houses. “Now we have to pick one. In the middle, of it all, it’s easier to lose someone if things go wrong. But towards the entrance, we’re out of here much faster.” Harry examined. After a short debate, they decided on the edge, also factoring in how the trees they saw were akin to a wide, short forest rather than only along the wall, covering their presence all the way into the backyards of houses at the bottom of the hill. 

Down the hill they went, turning left to be greeted by houses on both sides. Before taking a look at anything else on any house, an advantageous detail caught Harry’s eye. The jaguar put a hand on Brian’s shoulder to stop him. “What?” The hyena queried. The feline pointed at a small black stop sign in between the hedges that lined the front porch. A column of bold, white letters spelled “ECS”. Brian only looked back at Harry, “So? Just means we don’t hit...” He trailed off and looked at another house across the street. The stop sign wasn’t there. Some had stop signs, some didn’t. Nothing else indicated protection. Upon realization, he only grinned. “I think you get the point.” The jaguar said slyly, giving him a pat on the shoulder and crossing the street, the hyena following behind. They had a much easier time picking a target, settling on a house that had only one small car in the driveway, and a light shining through a small window in the side of the house, which Brian quietly rushed to. “That must be the garage. I don’t hear any music, so they’re not up late, at least not loudly.” He whispered. The window was just a bit too tall for either of them to see into it. “I’ll give you a boost, take a look.” Brian said while squatting down and putting his hands together to form a place for Harry to put his foot. The jaguar stepped into place and with a slow lift, he was able to see inside, putting his hands on the windowsill while scanning inside. “No one’s in here, but they sure left the light on. Doesn’t look like they’re actively working on anything.” The jaguar analyzed. “Alright, down.” He called out quietly, and the hyena lowered his grasp until the jaguar stepped off. “I think this’ll be the take. Unless you have an objection?” Harry asked. “No, I don’t see anything wrong, and if he lives by himself, it’s only better news.” Brian replied. “That’s all info we’ll figure out over time. Let look around back.” Harry directed, and the two of them moved to the chain fence backyard. “Let’s not risk opening the gate and scratching on the ground, it’s just waist high anyways.” Brian noted. They both vaulted the fence cleanly, greeted by a largely empty backyard and a small netted wooden porch. The duo crept up to the stairs that led to a screen door. “Either we can tempt fate with this screen door or check the other side for a side door.” The hyena suggested. “Let me go see,” The jaguar said before hopping the fence and peering around the side to return disappointed, “Nothing. We can only hope he doesn’t lock his screen doors.” The feline noted. The hyena reached up slowly grabbed the door handle, giving it the most gentle tug he could. It moved with his hand. The both of them exhaled and he very slowly pulled it open and they kept their ears wide open for a creak. Not a sound was made as the screen door was opened enough for Harry to get through, “Go. Go. Take a look at the lock. We’ll see if J can help us out, unless you know how to pick locks on the spot.” Brian directed while holding the door open. Harry shook his head, knowing neither of them could just pick a lock even if they knew it. He went up the small set of stairs and crept towards the door, standing there hunched over the doorknob. After the slowest minute in the hyena’s life, he grew impatient, given their position. “Psst. H, hurry the hell up!” He beckoned under his breath. “I’m trying, but I don’t exactly read my books in the dark.” Harry quietly snapped back. Soon after, he returned to the door that was still held open and gently closed behind him. “Lockton. Let’s get out of here already. We can do some more casing tomorrow.” The jaguar directed, the both of them strolling around to the front of the house and taking a note of the address. Back up the hill and through the gate they went, taking the long walk back to the alley, which they also noted, meaning they couldn’t take anything particularly large without straining themselves. Brian was fairly strong, at least in comparison to most of the other thieves, including Harry, but even he doubted carrying back something that needed both arms.

Meanwhile elsewhere downtown, the weasel and lizard were disappointed after a number of hours walking around. They’d found a few more places they could take, theoretically. Another set of apartments full of cameras. A small cluster of houses in the middle of downtown, that were all protected by security and had no decent escape route because the only entry were the front and garage doors. Jason brought up places to buy things, but Neela didn’t want to take a crack at any of them, at least not while they were still so green. As the night passed its darkest point, both parties returned from their searches, the silver wolf and purple cat nowhere to be seen. Neela and Jason were first to return, the lizard idling at the front of the alley with his hands in his pockets, “Where’d they go?” He wondered. Brian and Harry joining them before Jason could have his question answered. “Hey you two.” Brian greeted while entering and taking a seat on his bed, “Where’s the canine?” He repeated unknowingly. “And the feline?” Harry added. “Scales just asked, and we don’t know. Probably should check the warehouse, which we haven’t done yet.” Neela replied. “Go ahead, I’m gonna get off my feet for a second. I don’t know where he’d go if not there.” The hyena said. The three of them strolled to the back, Neela opening the door inside to find the missing thieves laying on a table in the middle of the room, under the skylight where the stars were now fading. The wolf turned to the door and sat up, the cat doing the same. Both scooted off the table as the canine spoke, “You all are back. Bring any snacks?” He joked. “Some chips do sound good right about now.” Jason responded. “Get yourself some when you have your income from your own take. Speaking of takes, what do you have?” Morcus queried. Harry was first to speak, “We got a great spot for us to go back to at least one more time. Southwestern Acres. We found a house that looks pretty ripe for a take, just wanted some of Jeremy’s expertise, if he knows how to pick a Lockton brand lock, that is.” He answered. “I can help with that. You all stuck to keyless entry methods so I didn’t bother but...” Jeremy trailed off to pull a small lockpick set on a key ring out of his pocket. “I can give some lessons. Need to take a trip to the handyman though, to get you all your own, and a lock to learn with.” The cat continued. “The night’s a little old, but we can pay a visit or at least see where they are and all.” The wolf replied. “Not worrying about your search, Jeremy?” Neela wondered. “I’ll bet my ass on the likelihood of cops searching literally all night for one man.” He responded. “Now. let’s get moving, sunrise is about to stare us in the face and 7th isn’t the shortest trip.” The purple cat continued, guiding them along with a wave.

He led the team out of the alley, along a few intersections and crossing the street a couple of times. Jason was eyeing the brightening sky that was becoming progressively more and more blue, the leading feline rather calm, but also keeping an eye out for any patrolling cars. Morcus was taking in every street and direction as he took a new path to a new fence. As time went on, he learned more and more of the massive network of streets lining Exelton City. It was a middling twilight as they arrived at their destination, Jeremy kneeling down and reaching inside the walls of a tire, pulling out the separated head of a hammer then giving the fellow thieves a wink before putting it back and strolling into the alley. Jeremy gave a short whistle, “I need nails and a wrench!” He called out. After a few moments of silence a white buck wearing a navy blue hoodie with the hood torn off and jeans that had a grease stain on the lower half of the left pant leg strolled around the corner, “Getting uh, early, don’t you think, J?” He asked while taking a short glance at the sky. “Yeah yeah, we noted that before heading out.” The cat replied. “We, huh? I take it the others are with you?” The deer investigated. “Yep. A couple of them are a little green, but all of them need their own equipment.” Jeremy explained. “Well, the name’s Roetheanel, but it’d be easier if you just called me Roe.” He greeted, the visitors exchanging their own names. “So, you all need your own kit, huh? Paying up, right?” He wondered. “Of course, of course. We’re not that new,” The wolf replied. “Just makin’ sure. One sec.” Roe said before backpedaling around a corner and returning a little over a minute later with a small but plastic tub half full of many small items and key rings. “Alright, mm, two, three, four, five of you. So that’s five sets-“ He mumbled until Morcus cut him off. “Fifteen sets.” The canine corrected. The deer, lizard and weasel were all surprised. Harry was unmoved and Brian was shaking his head while smiling. “Really?” He asked. “Yes.” Morcus confirmed. “Man, alright then. Fifteen sets, twelve bucks each...you handin’ them money, J?” Roe chuckled. “Nope. I do owe M one but...” The cat trailed off, looking at the wolf. The wolf met his gaze and wagged a finger, “Don’t worry about it, mate. You can pay me back with something else. We’ll find out what.” The canine reassured before turning back to the fence, “As for paying, yeah I can handle it. Let’s just say we got lucky.” He added. The deer continued on, deftly sliding numerous picks and a key onto a key ring then sliding the key into a lock before setting it down and moving onto the next. The eyes of the thieves were busied by his fluid work, and after a couple of moments of silence, he was finished, “Hundred and eighty.” Roe stated after putting together the last one. “Whoa. Dude that’s like...” Jason commented from the back, and time froze as the others glanced back and waited for his answer. After thirty seconds, Neela answered. “Twelve a piece.” The weasel responded, deadpan. Morcus sighed and Brian giggled. “Anyway, how did you get these to be so cheap?” The wolf asked while paying up. “Mm. Trade secrets. Let’s just say I got lucky.” He repeated with a smirk, stuffing the money in the pocket of his hoodie. “That’s that, the lock's I threw in is good as a tutorial, with the tools you have I've picked every lock I've seen which is plenty. I usually don’t get huge ass bulk orders but a sale’s a sale. I’m closing up now. Getting a little too bright for my tastes. Someone’s actually awake now, I bet.” Roe finished before strolling over to the tire and pulling out the head of the hammer, putting it in the tub while the others collected the lock picking sets and put a portion of them in their pockets. “Good luck out there you all, hope you can fix that shelf!” The deer called out while hauling the tub back around the corner. “Thanks, I’ll have them as good as you are!” Jeremy responded. “Yeah, when they can do it with my antler I’ll agree, now get outta here!” The buck directed out of sight, the cat flicking his head and leading them back out to the sidewalk. Harry looked up at the sky, which was now an undeniable dark blue, “It really is getting bright. We might start seeing traffic soon.” He commented. “Nah, it’s early but not that early. If it were rush hour I’d probably fall asleep walking.” The purple cat corrected. Little small talk happened on the way back to their alley, dawn on the verge of breaking as they sat on their beds. “We can learn up tom...” The silver wolf trailed off and blinked, realizing it would be the same day when they got up. “Nocturnal clock’s fucked up, ain’t it?” Jeremy guffawed. “We’ll learn up tonight, but for now, let’s go to bed. I’ll handle the extra sets later.” Morcus sighed and flopped back onto his mattress, the other thieves joining him in getting some rest.


End file.
